That might still be more comforting emotionally than whatever painful uncertainty about something they didn't feel control over from the past which led to the s

That might still be more comforting emotionally than whatever painful uncertainty about something they didn't feel control over from the past which led to the self-medicating in the first place. Knowing what you can avoid to stay safe is a lot more tolerable than never knowing when you're going to get pummeled. Just that sense of control is huge.