I'm going to disagree with the majority here.
"The Program" (12 steps... AA/NA/etc.) is O. of SEVERAL ways that people who have become physically and psychologically addicted to certain substances get and stay clean. According to their own doctorine, "once and addict, always an addict".
However, theirs is not the only way.
Millions of cancer patients (and other kinds of patients) become physically addicted (and a good number psychologically addicted). The vast majority of them get break the addiction and go on to use alcohol & even pain meds in normal 'non-addict' ways.
Many people with chronic pain (or acute pain) become addicted to painkillers. Both within and beyond 'medically supervised addiction'. Treatment worthy addiction. Who get clean (with or without the program)... and then later go on to use alcohol or pain meds in normal 'non-addict' ways. ((And there are those who don't.))
Many people become addicted to alcohol (to the point of DTs, etc.; there is absolutely no doubt as to their being physically & psychologically addicted). They get clean (with or without the program)... and then later go on to to drink or use prescriptions in normal 'non-addict' ways. ((And there are those who don't.))
Many people become addicted to street drugs. They get clean (with or without the program)... and then go on to use alcohol or prescriptions in normal 'non-addict' kinds of ways. ((And there are those who don't.))
The program is not actually "black and white" if you read the literature... the literature states that the program is for people who have tried all the OTHER ways, and failed... although most people 'in the rooms' would disagree that is IS black and white. Anyhow... the basic tenet by the people in the rooms is that "Anyone who CAN use 'normally' was never really an addict to begin with." It's a self defense mechanism. Because while there are just "heavy users" or "abusers but not addicted"... there are ALSO a large number of people who were completely and totally physically and psychologically addicted who go on at some point in their lives to use normally. Blowing those people off as "not REALLY addicts" protects themselves. It's also short sighted. The Program used to be a place of 'last resort'. Now it's the FIRST place most people go who have addiction issues. Meaning the obvious, that some people in the rooms, through other methods (aside from abstinence) can return to normal use.
But yes. Millions of people DO become addicted (for various reasons), and go on to use normally.
It's actually a large point of contention between the addiction studies departments in colleges/universities and the psych/ medical departments in colleges/universities. Most addiction studies departments (CDC programs, by and large) follow the 'once an addict, always an addict' philosophy. Psych & Med departments, however, say "sometimes, it depends on a lot of factors".
A lot of it is background. The addiction studies dept sees people who relapse and go right back to where they started. Aka, once and always. The psych and med departments see both people who relapse and go right back to where they started AS WELL as people who don't. Just because someone breaks the cycle of addictive behavior and use DOES NOT MEAN that they weren't addicts. It's kind of funny to watch the "arguments", actually. Because the addiction studies department gets all riled up saying O. thing, and the psych and med departments keep saying "You're right, sometimes, but not in all cases."
I side with the psych & med departments (big surprise, eh?). It's COMPLETELY possible for a person to go back to normal use. But just because it's possible, DOES NOT mean it's true for everyone, or even most people. So yes, I believe that a person CAN become an ex-addict.