Drug Addiction Five Things You Might Say If You Are In Denial
No one likes to think they’re doing the wrong thing, even when they know they are. People protect themselves by making excuses and telling lies in their mind – so true of drug and alcohol addiction. If you find yourself saying one of these lines or something like it, you might need drug treatment.
1 – I only had a few (hits, drinks, joints, etc).
Any you hear someone say they had “just a few”, be suspicious. A few to one person might be two or three. A few to you could actually be around twelve or twenty, whatever number is technically less than the most you’ve ever had. It’s just a way to downplay how much you really did, and large volumes of alcohol or drugs indicate a real problem. So does minimizing it. What was that number again, really?
2 – I really didn’t mean to get drunk, high, stoned, wasted, etc. It just happened.
Someone held you prisoner until you drank twenty-five beers, or did that 8 ball? That rarely happens. You are in control of your actions unless you are addicted. In that case, your addiction is in charge of your life. If you cannot resist using drugs and alcohol when you are around them, you have lost your ability to be in in control of your use (symptom of drug addiction).
3 – I’ve quit drugs, like, ten times already. I can quit anytime – so I don’t have a problem.
In order to quit that many times, you need to have started again that many times. Why did you start again? What happened when you quit before? What do you mean by “quit” – just take a break for a few days, or really try to change your life? Perhaps you wanted to just give an answer (“Look, I quit already – leave me alone!”) to someone accusing you of having a drug problem.
4 – I can drive drunk just fine.
Wow – what do you even say to this one? Tell that one to MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Just take a look at the headlines of people killed by drunk drivers every year. Even sleepiness can impair a driver – how could it not be that much worse for drinking and drug use? To drive drunk or on drugs is to ignore your own body’s signals and highly publicized facts. This would be the time to err on the side of caution rather than your own pride.
5 – I wouldn’t drink so much if you were a better….wife, husband, kid, boyfriend, etc.
Putting the blame on someone else for your actions is a sure sign of a problem. Again, you weren’t likely held prisoner and forced to drink or use drugs. It’s most likely something you chose as a way of coping with something very uncomfortable. Marriage? Parenthood? Job responsibility? Emotional intimacy? Drowning your problems in drugs and alcohol will only make your problems worse. And they’ll still be there when you sober up later.
Excuses and Denial Are Connected
As long as you don’t realize you have a problem, you’re home free. You can do what you like. The lies protect your addiction, they don’t protect you. If you find that your excuses don’t match up with what you know is really going on, you are probably ready for a drug treatment center. Cutting through your denial can be tough, but you will be able to see how drug treatment can make your life better.