A feature of the lifestyle model that reflects its utility is the unified explanation it offers for drug abuse, crime, and the drug-crime connection. Drug abuse and criminal activity are conceptualized as overlapping lifestyles that, although distinct, are nonetheless bound by a common set of variables. Historical-developmental conditions, the focus of most traditional perspectives on the drug-crime connection, not only fail to explain the drug-crime overlap but in many cases show opposing patterns for these two forms of deviant behavior. Emotions and motivations are incorporated in the lifestyle theory; the theory purports to assist the individual by acknowledging the presence of existential fear and reinforcing the individual's adaptive resources. Lifestyle theory asserts that assimilation and accommodation are ways in which the individual manages his or her existential fear of change and uncertainty. The author indicates that the most common pathway between drug abuse and crime involves situations in which drug use causes crime by loosening inhibitions, distorting judgment, fostering criminal associations, or creating a need for money. 369 references, 1 table, and 2 figures