5. Conclusions

Recreation and procrecreation sexuality functions are specifically damaged in heroin addicts. This is explained by the fact that libido is not involved in organization of behavior. As a result, specific features of character, owing to which a healthy subject becomes personality, are not formed. Contrarily, a drug addict acquires known negative features characteristic of all addicted individuals, said features including indifferent attitude to destruction of sexuality.

A healthy person has no biosocial grounds for maintaining drug-dependent behavior. Therefore, a pathological functional system, which induces this behavior, exploits the biosocial fundamentals of sexuality. As an individual is involved in drug addiction, motives and behavior conjugate. In other words, drug use is first included into realization of sexuality, but later it displaces the latter. If an individual uses heroin for years, he or she becomes devoid of experience in a broad spectrum of emotions and feelings. This, in turn, inhibits psychosexual development of a person. The process proceeds unnoticed for an addicted individual. Examination of heroin addicts shows that subjective estimation of their sexuality differs substantially from virtual severity of the affection.

Heroin use produces a specific leveling of the erotic-sexual sphere. But since the erectile function in men remains unaffected in most cases, an illusion of welfare persists in a drug addict. Libido becomes subject to heroin intoxication because sexual intercourse occurs after drug injection. Subjective estimation of sexual intercourse by the patient changes: when in the state of heroin intoxication and decreased criticism, an addict tends to interpret sexual emotions as if they are induced by sex. Meanwhile these emotions depend on the amount of heroin injected. These changes in self-criticism promote formation of dependence at the initial stage of addiction, which becomes apparent during discussion in the psychotherapy group. This, in turn, contributes to motivation for heroin use.

It is desirable that the course of rehabilitation of drug addicts should include a psychotherapy program aimed at restoration of patient sexuality. This program is designed for a pair of specialists in psychotherapy, viz., a physician and a psychologist. The program may consist of several stages and include sexologic consultation for the patient himself and his family, a course of special sexologic education, and training.