I did my internship in a substance abuse treatment facility so I heard a lot about this topic....
In the mental health world, addiction is often referred to as "a disease of feelings" The addiction is an outward manifestation of many underlying problems...including outrageous social situations, mental illness, etc.
There are also some who argue that addiction is connected to brain chemistry. They say that the process of addiction occurs in the limbic system (brain stem area). The limbic system stimulates sense of smell, motivation, sex drive, as well as various emotional responses. The limbic system also plays a role in regulating basic and automatic bodily functions. The automatic nature of the limbic system is what sets up the addiction process.
I could get more complex but I don't have the time at the moment. Just another thought on the topic
Also I have no idea what the show said or whatever but now I wish I'd seen it. Especially since someone mentioned that some of the info was "hokey"