Sexual dynamics and strength of heroin addiction: a three-factor model of an ideology

The association between heroin addicts' strength of addiction (SOA) and sexuality is documented. A three-factor behaviorally operational model based on psychoanalytic theory was constructed to explain the contingencies of the association. While the family, self and eroticism factors have insignificant main effects on SOA, the effect of the three-factor model as a whole is significant. A type of heroin addict associated with high SOA emerges from the analysis: A male from a surrogate family background, possessing a strongly autonomous impulsive self and finds erotic satisfaction in the needle-specific, pharmacogenic orgasm, as opposed to the genital-specific, physiogenic orgasm.