Denial is not a river in Egypt. Denial is an insidious,
often debilitating psychological defense mechanism. When you're in denial, you:
- Refuse
to acknowledge a stressful problem or situation
- Avoid
facing the facts of the situation
- Minimize
the consequences of the situation
Denial is an unconscious process.
When we are talking about addiction issues, denial, can be
deadly. I often work with clients that experience denial on various levels. One
person may have difficulty accepting that he/she is powerless over alcohol, but
is able to see just how meth is killing his/her soul. Another client may
believe that his/her codependent patterns and characteristics are manageable
and is oblivious to the fact that his/her relationship is over; job has been
terminated due to sleeping with the boss for a promotion, and the bank account
is empty. Denial!
Don’t let denial keep you from the path of recovery. Get
help if you aren’t sure if you are experiencing denial. Most often it takes a
leap of faith and a tiny bit of trust to allow a close friend, therapist, or
member of a 12 Step program to highlight the denial that you just can’t face. You are not alone.
Sincerely,
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