Not sure , here ' s a better look at it . <| sep |> Brings critical attention to the aspect of the degree of suffering required . Thank you for another interesting analogy . First off the reason why I think causes problems should be removed , even though as you said it ' s the most crucial part of the current definition , is that there ' s really no line where we can say now its a problem . With heroin as an example , most would say any amount is a problem . But what about alcohol or gambling ? Most people also think these activities can be engaged in without being a problem though they definitely can get there . If we use this interpretation then anything that happens before the problem isn ' t part of the addiction cycle . The truth is even heroin users will often flirt with the drug for months or years even before they develop a real problem . Overall I think this way of defining the idea limits its entire scope .