Addiction does not discriminate. Any gender, race, ethnicity, age, etc. can fall victim to its clutches. It may have begun as a simple experiment, "just to see what it was like," or it may have started as a crutch, hoping it would take the person out of his or her current life. Whatever the reason may be, it is never something they can simply quit. While it was an initial choice to try it, there may not have been a choice to continue. As established from this research, the chemical structure in the brain motivates addicts. However, this does not excuse any behavior the person may exhibit. Without stepping into the shoes of an addict, it is hard to understand how a person can make choices that knowingly kill them. Until an addict acknowledges that he or she has a problem, there will never be any reason to change it. Those reasons will always vary from person to person, along with the types of treatment received. Furthermore, the way in which he or she responds - whether sobriety is maintained or a relapse occurs - will not be the same as the next person. What Brentwood staff and others like them hope to do is bring to light the importance of sobriety and maintaining a healthy life and supporting the addict along the way.