Denial: the Mechanics of Lying to Ourselves
If we understand how it works, can we stop doing it? Can we help those we love stop doing it?
Since getting sober I have become fascinated by the concept of denial, the experience of being in it, and the process of coming out of it.
For twenty years or more I was happy with my habit of heavy drinking. I would have unselfconsciously listed ‘drinking beer’ as a hobby until very recently before I quit. Drinking simply wasn’t a problem.
Was I in denial? Or did my drinking only become an issue in its latest stages?
Hanna Packard’s brilliant piece entitled ‘Denial and Addiction’ in Mind and Language, Volume 31, Issue 3 gave me a better insight into this mysterious self-protective defense system.
Here’s what I learned. And it doesn’t only apply to giving up booze.
What is denial anyway?
What do we even mean when we talk about denial? How is it possible for a person to lie to themselves? And if it is so easy, how can we tell whether or not we are doing it?
“Denial is commonly understood as a refusal to acknowledge the reality of one’s situation, when doing so would cause such psychological pain and distress. It therefore…
