What is denial in reference to addiction?

What is denial in reference to addiction?

Denial in addiction refers to a psychological defense mechanism where a person refuses to acknowledge or accept the reality of their substance use problem.  It’s on of the most common and powerful barriers to seeking treatment.

It can show up in several ways:

• Minimizing – “I only drink on weekends, it’s not that bad.”
• Rationalizing – “I work hard, I deserve to unwind this way.”
• Blaming – “I drink because my job is stressful / my partner nags me.”
• Comparing – “I’m not as bad as so-and-so, so I don’t have a problem.”
• Deflecting – Changing the subject or getting angry when the issue is raised.

Denial can be conscious (deliberate avoidance) or unconscious (genuine inability to see the problem).  The brain actually adapts to addiction in ways that can impair self-awareness, making denial feel completely sincere to the person experiencing it – they’re not necessarily lying; they may truly believe what they’re saying.

For loved ones, denial is often the most frustrating part of watching someone struggle with addiction, because logic and evidence rarely break through it on their own.  It typically fades when the person reaches a point where the consequences become too painful to ignore.