Beyond its mere dictionary definition as the compulsive need for and use of habit-forming substances, the AA Big Book accurately describes the behavior and effect of addiction as experienced by the addict and his or her entire family. It is:

Cunning
The addiction itself and the addict's behavior are experienced as shrewdness, artfulness, wiliness, trickery, finesse, intrigue, slyness, deception. Cunning implies a shrewd, often instinctive skill in concealing or disguising the real purposes of one's actions; a clever, unscrupulous ruse used to mislead others; a successful artifice to conceal one's motives. It also suggests underhanded methods and the use of deceptive devices and tricks to attain one's ends: craft and deceitfulness in every act.

Baffling
The effects of addiction are confusion, bewilderment, and perplexity--constant frustration in attempts to simply have normal relationships with loved ones, which are thwarted by the creation of confusion or bewilderment to meet the needs of the addiction.

Powerful
The force of an addiction is strong, powerful, mighty, potent. Powerful suggests capability of exerting great force or overcoming strong resistance--a powerful machine such as a bulldozer. Mighty, now mostly used rhetorically, implies uncommon or overwhelming strength of power--a mighty army. Potent implies great natural or inherent power--influential, convincing, forcible, cogent, effective.

It’s important to fully realize what we are dealing with when dealing with addiction. We often underestimate both the power of the disease and its ability to deceive as we wade in to try to help. This is where experience and training can make a huge difference in outcome.