Denial is a refusal to accept the painful reality which can change our perception. In fact, it is automatic and unconscious responses or reactions that may cause relapse in any disease. It has its own pros and cons. It may temporarily remove the grief and any emotional pain by creating a misperception that the problem is solved. But at the same time its blocks acceptance. In our lives, when we face losses e.g. death of loved one, relationship loss or any other kind of loss may result in denial.

The approach of denial changes, when it is associated with any kind of addiction. People use poor choices of being alcoholics and addicts to deal with denial about their mistakes, regrets, and shame. Even the same pattern is followed by those people who are suffering from chronic disease like Diabetes and Heart diseases. It is observed that alcoholics and addicts made following common statements to deny their realities.
“I can quit anytime, whenever I decided to quit”
“I drink to forget my problems”
“Anybody in my situation would drink”

There are four levels of denial:

The severity of addiction makes denial stronger. This situation becomes painful and bewildering for the family and friends. Indeed, “denial is the hallmark of drug addiction”. That’s why denial management is the essential and critical protocol of addiction recovery. In other words, denial management is inevitable for addiction treatment. It is also a long-lasting part to avoid relapse.

Conscious awareness is the first step in effective denial management. Immediate recognition of denial thoughts is mandatory for its management. Some experts suggest that for effective denial management it is very important to manage all feelings, thoughts, and actions which are directly and indirectly related to each denial pattern. Although denial is a shock absorber and it helps us to avoid all kinds of emotional pain (shame, guilt, and regret) yet in an addict’s life it may create hindrance in his recovery.

An addict can use the following denial patterns.