Lola's contact list is extensive, filled with names of men; fleeting lovers of a single sexual encounter. "I masturbated up to 18 times a day to self-regulate, and I also had sex whenever I could. I've fucked all of Palma. I only wanted to experience orgasms, not create any bond," she says.

"People think you do it because you want to, that you drink five beers in a row because you like it. Because of that, it's gotten to the point where I hardly ever go to bars or attend social gatherings where alcohol is involved." This is the testimony of Joan, a 32-year-old who began consuming alcohol uncontrollably during his university years in Madrid. According to the experts consulted, his story sums up the feeling of incomprehension that many people with addictions have, an experience very similar to that of those who live with mental health problems. "You feel empathy for someone with Alzheimer's, but not for someone addicted to heroin," says Joan.