ABSTRACT
Current addiction treatment tends to emphasize the common characteristics among addicts. The old adage, "All addicts are the same, addiction is the same" remains a dictum of treatment centers and twelve step programs. The perceived accuracy of these statements derives from the way addicts appear to share some common feelings (perhaps in more extreme form than found among the general population) such as guilt and insecurity, a common tendency toward overstimulation or even hyperactivity, and compulsive use of drugs.
