Denial in addiction is a defense mechanism that those abusing drugs or alcohol will need to overcome in order to kick their addiction disorders. This is because Step 1 of the 12-steps deals with overcoming denial and "admitting we are powerless …"
Denial is the PRIMARY psychological symptom of addictions. It is an automatic and unconscious component of addictions. Addicts and alcoholics are often the last to recognize their disease, pursuing their addictions into the gates of insanity, a collapse of health and ultimately death. Sadly, many addicts continue to act out on their addictions while their world collapses around them - blaming everything but the addiction for their problems.
Denial is one of the reasons that recovery from addictions is seldom effective if the addict or alcoholic person is ‘forced’ into treatment and continuously rebels. You cannot work on a problem unless you accept that it exists.
Step One of Alcoholics Anonymous deals with working through our denial, allowing us to accept our powerlessness over addictions and the chaos and unmanageability they bring into our lives. (This is just one of the curious and beautiful things about recovery - in acknowledging powerlessness the addict is empowered to lead a healthy life.)
Active alcoholism and addiction are characterized by a struggle to control use. Addicts and alcoholics resent the suggestion they are powerless until things get so bad they are forced to face their addiction. Sadly, some alcoholic / addicts never break through their denial, and continue use to the point of insanity and death.
There are many subtypes of denial:
Projection; “I don't have a problem but you obviously do."
Rationalization: "You would drink if you had a wife like mine”.
Intellectualization: The expert who knows everything about nothing yet believes they are very engaging! Minimizing: “Sure I drink the odd glass of wine but it's not a problem and no one minds"
Suppression: Swallowing down uncomfortable memories of our addiction behavior and any known consequences.
Withdrawing: Leaving relationships, jobs, rehabilitation centers; rather than facing problems
Geographical escapes: My life is a little bit chaotic, but I will be much better if I move to a place of my choosing
Why do people deny they need help?
There are many reasons for denial in addiction. One reason is that people generally do not like to feel helpless and out-of-control and this is particularly true for the addict. The addict will blame everything and everyone except their own substance abuse for their problems. Another reason is that the addict may be using drugs or alcohol to cover up or numb unpleasant feelings and by stripping away the denial (and drugs and alcohol), the unpleasant feelings will come to the surface.
While not all substance abusers have suffered past traumas in their lives, an inordinate amount have. Child sexual or physical abuse is common in the addicted population as are other kinds of trauma such as those suffered in wartime, rape or by other victims of violent crimes. Addicts may be using drugs or alcohol to numb the uncomfortable feelings from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from past traumas which will eventually need to be dealt with in order for full recovery to occur.
But, no matter what the cause is of the denial, the important part is that the addict confronts the defense mechanism head on. This may be by what some addicts describe as "hitting bottom" or can come from confrontation with family, friends or through the court systems. Many times an addict will lose a job, friends or family relationships because of the addiction and start to face the denial because their lives truly have become unbearably unmanageable.
Denial in addiction is not a linear course, either. The addict may be in denial at some times, and facing reality at others, so addiction in denial may be fluid especially in the beginning stages of recovery. Even for those who are far along the recovery path, falling off the wagon and denial can strike at any time and will need to be overcome once again to get back on track. Perhaps ‘Linkin Park’ talked about confronting denial best in their song "Breaking the Habit" when they said, "I'll paint it on the walls, 'cause I'm the one at fault" in acknowledgement that a habit is indeed a personal disease for which one needs to take responsibility in order to break free.
Effects on Others
Denial is painful and causes frustration for those who care about the addict. The destructive progression of the addiction is obvious to everyone except the addict. Sometimes when family members release the addict (with love, if possible) and tell the addict they no longer want a relationship, the addict accepts the need for help. In other situations, the addict uses that rejection as another excuse to justify using more.
