I think along with addiction comes moral bankruptcy. People like our adult children, as a result of the addiction, will morally decline and it progresses as time addicted goes by. They will start doing things they never thought they would ever do like lying, stealing, hiding things, triangulating, creating chaos in a aggressive or nonaggressive way, shop lift, possibly prostitute, etc...I believe it is part of the addiction and not part of their core personality (unless these behaviors were present before the addiction). I think also as they become healthier these behaviors start to improve and their moral center improves.
This has been so true for my son. He keeps gradually sinking lower---he recognizes it but still not making the right connections to quit.
