Denial
Remember that denial is a hallmark symptom of addictions. It involves hiding the truth, refusing to talk about the problem, rationalizing, or minimizing the situation. Denial is a defensive measure on the part of the addicted person to avoid seeing the true nature of her problem and can significantly interfere with the identification process. This may be because the problem is too overwhelming or she fears failure.
Even if an addict is forced to deal with a problem, such as filing for bankruptcy, denial says it has nothing to do with her compulsive spending or gambling. Losing one's job may be blamed on an unfair boss. Denial would lead a parent to blame a “vindictive” ex-spouse for his loss of visitation rights rather than admit that he drove the car drunk bringing the kids home from the last visit. Denial frequently comes across as making excuses — for example, “The other guys drink a lot more than I do,” “Gambling is just entertainment, not an addiction — so what if I lost big this time, I can easily win it back plus more next week.”
It is common for an addicted individual to have attempted quitting her addictive behaviors, and failed. She may have been trying to prove to herself that the problem behavior is not an addiction. This may have been done in secret, denying to others that there is any problem. However, the memory of the failure may lead her into further using the defensive measure of denial. She might try to convince herself that it didn't work in the past because she didn't really want to quit at that time.
Essential
Compulsory treatment programs are ineffective if the addicted person refuses to acknowledge his addiction. He will typically comply with treatment to avoid unpleasant consequences such as losing his driver's license, losing custody of his children, or having to go to jail, but he will resume his addiction as soon as the program has been completed.
An addicted person who is in denial will often vehemently deny that she has a problem. In fact, she asserts, she can quit any time she wants. She just hasn't had the desire to quit to this point. Be aware that denial may become more intense as the problems worsen. This is only a sign that the addicted person is in over her head and needs intensive help.
However, if she is unwilling to face her use of denial, any treatment efforts will be ineffective. Acknowledgment of the addiction and the negative effects the addiction has on a person's life is necessary if true recovery is to take place. Further information about denial and how to overcome it will be discussed later.
