When it comes to making decisions about treatment for a severe substance addiction, you need to be able to understand the information. You must be able to retain the information, which means you can remember it. You also need to be able to use the information to make a decision, which is like weighing up the pros and cons.

If you cannot understand the information, or retain it, or use it to make a decision, or tell others about your decision, then your ability to make informed decisions is severely impaired, as stated in section 7(b). This is important because it affects how you can make choices about your treatment. You have to be able to communicate your decisions to others.