I’m having a lot of trouble phrasing this question. It relates to memories and human capability for addiction.

First of all, let’s assume our test-patient is someone who is considered to be addiction prone.

Next, we give this unwitting patient a minimum dose of heroine or another addictive substance. Note: It would have to be a substance and/or dosage with a survivable withdrawal period.

Lastly, we lie to them. Convincingly. The doctors tell them and show them information that that their experience was the result of an acute mental seizure that runs in the family and that it almost killed them and that it likely won’t occur again.

Since that person has no idea what the substance was that caused their condition and also, having no idea how to recreate that condition again. How might they react? What becomes of that potential addiction in a case where the substance or behavior of an addiction isn’t conceivable to the person who has experienced it in the past? And what if the word or concept of “addiction” itself was never used by anyone around the patient?