When a person with self-respect recognizes that she is not meeting her own measure, she may change her actions so that she preserves her self-respect. There are many cases where a person has had self-respect but has lost it, often through their own actions. In the worst throes of addiction, the world is reduced to us and our substances and behaviors. While a loss of self-respect is a consequence of addiction, I believe a lack of self-respect is also a driving force of addiction. Their bill comes due at some point, putting whatever shards of self-respect a person has at risk.