The cause of addiction and the disease model have and are still are up for debate nearly a century after the disease model was bought into the vernacular by the AA movement. This article is the most compelling I have read in supporting the notion of a disease, that disease being 'reward deficiency'. Whether you agree with the arguement put forth, or not, it is certainly an interesting and well written piece. From 2010 to 2016 I was the MD of the largest rehab group outside of the USA and am still searching for the definitive answer for the cause of addiction!

IMO, the brain is hyper complex and unique to each individual. That makes the causes of addiction also unique to each individual. With that said, its quite clear to me that low dopamine is a contributing factor in my personal experience.