ABSTRACT
Becoming addicted is like being lured into a dark, encompassing labyrinth, as many were drawn into the Cretan labyrinth of the Minotaur. After Bernadette moved to a different area, her addiction switched to alcohol, an easier drug to come by in her new social setting. This pattern supports a triangular theory that society, the drug and the characteristics of the individual all play a vital part in shaping an addiction. As an addicted person becomes more and more reliant on a substance, so other considerations go by the board, including relationships, jobs, health, and finances. There is little sense of belonging or of mutuality in intimate relationships. If offers of help fail, a downward spiral ensues. It is both the sense of shame and rigorous denial which drive someone who has developed an addiction further into isolation. The addicted lifestyle has to be protected, because of the shame.
