Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
Addiction is a ______ process that requires the addict's friends and family's assistance at various addiction levels such as mentally, physically, psychologically, and emotionally.

* Protracted means lasting for a long time or longer than expected or usual, which fits the description of a long-drawn-out process like addiction recovery.
Curtailed, Abbreviated, and Condensed all mean shortened or reduced in duration, which does not contextually fit a complex process requiring multi-level ongoing support.