My wife has stage 4 breast cancer which has metastasized to her bones. She's responded so well to treatment that she no longer has pain, and told her oncologist that she wanted to stop taking hydrocodone, lest she become addicted. The doctor gave her a surprised look and said, "so what if you're addicted? You've got cancer!"
It seems to me that the biggest problem with addiction is that the addict can't get the drugs, because they've been made illegal, because people might get addicted.
I am so, so sorry.