Among substance treatment professionals, and recovering addicts, it's commonly said that "addiction doesn't discriminate," meaning that more or less anyone could fall victim to the disease's insidious progression. However, this may not be a fair way to describe the problem, argues Sally Satel, M.D., a psychiatrist. She argues that there are actually many factors that distinguish addicts from those who don't become addicted, including not only diseases like bipolar disorder and traumas like sexual abuse, but also problems with delaying gratification and predicting consequences. Article [1]
Links:
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/health/26essa.html?ref=health