Jared Goetz explains the difference between unhealthy dependency and addiction. Some people can stop when given permission, but addiction involves persistent mental obsession, physical craving, and inability to stop.
Chapters
Does unhealthy dependency always lead to addiction? Not at all. As a matter of fact, many people have an unhealthy dependency and either have a moment of clarity or an awakening and realize it's just something that they can't let go of. But when they get the permission slip that they can without, without whatever that is, they let it go without suffering. When does it turn into addiction? When you have the mental obsession that just won't stop. Then you have the physical craving and you have no solution. And now you need it like you need air. So imagine the pressures of life and now someone's going to tell you out of nowhere, stop What are you, crazy?