Why are some people more prone to addictive behaviors?

It's a question many of us ask who are fortunate enough to not be addicted to destructive habits.

We hear all the time about people being addicted to sex, gambling, drugs, alcohol and more, but what exactly is behind the cravings? I read a good article today, which speaks in plain english the medical and environmental reasons many can't control which contribute to addictions.

My favorite excerpt from the piece is:

"...genes alone do not cause an addiction. Researchers like to point out that, as with other ailments linked to lifestyle - heart disease, obesity, and lung cancer, for example - genes merely load the gun, while the environment pulls the trigger."

The article concludes with mention of gene screening and pharmaceutical treatment for alcoholism, future possibilities we'll be writing about soon.

The addictive behaviors post can be found here.