Denial is a common trait in those living with alcohol addiction, but it’s pretty difficult to know that you are actually in denial.
The defense mechanism is often spottable amongst friends and family, but we’re often blind to it, only later when in alcohol rehab recovery spotting the signs as we go through therapy and analyze and review our behavior.
However, by understanding what the signs of denial are can make them easy to spot for those making such moves, and that can be instrumental in identifying that your relationship with alcohol is problematic and that you do need help.
That can be completely life transformative. So if you like a drink, why not read on and see whether these five signs of denial sound familiar…
Justifying Your Drinking
Naturally, one of the first signs is saying everything is all ok, when deep down you know it’s not. Of course, people can have perfectly normal relationships with alcohol, but if you’re justifying why or rationalizing why you’re having a drink that’s perhaps straying more into problematic.
Things like drinking to relax after work in order to cope with stress, or having a drink because it’s “well earned” is a sign that you’re growing a dependence on alcohol and it’s being used as a coping mechanism. Which is far from healthy and can mask an underlying dependency.
Comparing Your Drinking to Others
Often we’ll compare ourselves to others in a bid to try and deflect our own problems. This is commonplace not just when it comes to addiction, but all manner of behaviors.
Saying you don’t drink as much as another person is irrelevant, because they could also have a problem with alcohol and not quite know it. It doesn’t mean you don’t have a problem.
It almost provides this false sense of security because you don’t drink as much as Jim down the pub and he seems ok. You need to address your own behavior, not focus on other people, otherwise it can have a real impact on your health.
Hiding Your Drinking
Basically, if you’re hiding how much you’re drinking or when you’re drinking then you categorically do have a problem.
There’s no beating around the bush here, if you’re drinking to avoid scrutiny from others, like a partner, then you already know yourself that you are doing something wrong or your behavior is problematic.
What’s more, it can not only be detrimental for your health, but also your relationship with keeping secrets a big red flag in the health of a partnership.
Are You Defensive About it?
When we’re in the wrong it’s often a natural reaction to become defensive. That’s also the case when discussing our drinking. People often react with anger, irritation or just refuse to talk about the matter.
Defensiveness in such cases essentially acts as a barrier that protects us from the truth. But it’s the truth that, ultimately, will help us improve our relationship with alcohol and our overall health.
But You’re Fully Functioning, Right?
If you’re able to work every day and maintain your responsibilities, what’s the problem right? You surely can’t be an alcoholic?
By focusing on the things you can do and the obligations you can do, which is of course a good thing, you are deflecting from the things that alcohol may be impacting. For example, your health could be suffering, you may be arguing with your partner more. There could be a host of other things in which alcohol is impacting, some of which you may not even be aware of.
It shouldn’t be used as a justification for heavy, excessive or dependent drinking and doing it could be a sign that your relationship with alcohol isn’t quite what you think it is.
