Characteristics of Physician Addicts

Abstract

This article attempts to chatacterize the physician addict and to challenge the usual sociological or psychological explanations of differences and similarities among addicts. Using available data on Quebec physicians, two types of physician addicts aie described according to the “two diseases model.” In its first form the disease is characterized by the search of euphoria, and as such is considered to be highly contagious and pernicious, while the other is rarely contagious and relatively less pernicious.