The Role of Denial in Addiction

Not everyone with AUD demonstrates denial, but it’s a common occurrence that can prevent people from seeking treatment. Denial is often a self-defense mechanism for people under stress, whether or not they drink heavily. People who are displaying denial are typically using it as a way to avoid facing truths that they are unable to deal with. They might feel powerful, unpleasant emotions joaquin phoenix fas such as shame, stress, and fear at the thought of confronting the problem. Unlike substances like heroin or methamphetamines that are widely stigmatized, it’s easier for individuals with an alcohol use disorder to rationalize their behavior due to its social acceptability.

Variables were first evaluated as univariate characteristics after which significant group differences were entered in logistic regression analyses. The ability to recognize harmful behaviors and the negative consequences of drug use is an important aspect of a person’s recovery. However, remaining in a state of denial prevents many people from understanding the toll that their harmful behavior takes on themselves and those they love. Societal and cultural factors can also play a role in an alcoholic’s denial. The stigma and judgment surrounding addiction create an environment where individuals may feel discouraged from seeking help or admitting to their problem. Alcohol consumption is often seen as socially acceptable, which can enable individuals to justify their excessive drinking.

Remember, we understand the challenges you or a loved one might face, and seeking professional help is crucial in overcoming denial and working toward recovery. In addition to supporting your own mental health, this serves as a role model to your loved one. You can never force someone to accept their AUD or make someone quit drinking. Starting treatment needs to be a choice, and the person with AUD needs to be ready to make it.

Concealing is another sign of alcoholism denial, where individuals try to hide their drinking from others. They may go to great lengths to cover up their habits and avoid discussing the issue when confronted. For example, they might use breath mints or mouthwash as an excuse for the smell of alcohol on their breaths. Many people in denial about their drinking may believe they don’t have a problem. That’s because they think that they haven’t hit “rock bottom” or experienced severe repercussions yet. They might downplay the frequency and amount of alcohol they consume or make excuses for their behavior when confronted by loved ones.

She “didn’t wanna have ta” face her alcoholism fully and go to treatment. The questions were extracted from the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) (validity, retest reliabilities, and cross-interviewer reliabilities of .7 to .8) (Bucholz et al.,1994; Hesselbrock et al.,1999). “Have a warm and empathetic conversation in an environment without distractions,” Scholl says. “Express your love and point out what you’re seeing. Talk about how it affects you. And then give it time. You can’t force anyone to change. All you can do is plant a seed.” “It’s hard to look at your own life and take a good inventory of what’s going on. It takes a lot of work,” says Jonathan Scholl, a therapist and clinical social worker at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital.

1. You suspect your spouse, close friend, or relative has a drinking problem.
2. Often a person has been contemplating abstinence for some time, yet couldn’t get sober on their own.
3. It’s because they don’t have up-to-date information on what constitutes excessive alcohol consumption.
4. Protecting, rescuing, and secondary denial are all ways that people close to alcoholics enable their addictive behaviors.

Ask about their support needs

Often a person has been contemplating abstinence for some time, yet couldn’t get sober on their own. Don’t consider your part done after your friend or family member is in therapy. Offer to help out with work, childcare, and household tasks if they get in the way of treatment sessions.

The disease affects neurochemistry, and alcoholics typically refuse to believe they have an alcohol use disorder. In some instances, their denial causes them to fail to recognize how their substance abuse is affecting their lives. Standing by your friend or family member’s progress during and after treatment is important, too. Even after recovery, your person will be in situations they can’t predict. Ways you can help include avoiding alcohol when you’re together or opting out of drinking in social situations. A large majority of two generations of SDPS participants whose interviews indicated a current AUD did not characterize themselves as problem drinkers.

Seeking Professional Support

By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. The roles these enablers play to “help” the person can be just as obsessive and harmful as the person’s drinking, which often is a subject of denial for loved ones. Although drinking has placed the person in a helpless, dependent position, they might continue to believe they’re independent. That’s because well-meaning family, friends, co-workers, employers, clergymen, and counselors may have rescued them from their problems.

Prioritizing mental health

In short, “there’s not a single image of AUD,” points out Sabrina Spotorno, a clinical social worker and alcoholism and substance abuse counselor at Monument. People who are high functioning with a drinking problem “seem to have everything together,” says Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, a certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor. They’re able to successfully manage tasks around their work, school, family, and finances, he says. For some people, outpatient programs with therapy treatment sessions are a great way to start the recovery journey.

It’s important to stay calm, supportive, and non-judgmental throughout any conversation and to remember that acknowledging AUD can be overwhelming and frightening. If you know someone with alcohol use disorder (AUD), it’s natural to be concerned and want to help. While you can’t make the choice for them, there’s a lot you can do to help a loved one who’s living with alcoholism. You, nor your loved one, are under any obligation to commit to a Treatment X treatment program when calling the helpline.