The addict odyssey: from experimentation to addiction

This study explores the "honeymoon" period in the addict's life, extending from his first use of narcotics to the point of his addiction. Retrospective interviews with 30 addicts in treatment programs suggest that the process of becoming an addict can be characterized as consisting of at least three elements: (1) increasing physical, psychological, and social rewards from involvement in the street addict life-sytle; (2) increasing commitment to one reference group; and (3) devaluation of any possible negative rewards in the drug life.