The state of denial is a defining characteristic of drug and alcohol addiction. It can also be a very difficult concept to understand.

Denial can be described as a way in which the mind refuses to accept a problem. It is a safety valve for handling stress. One way to handle an overwhelming problem that causes a great deal of fear is to deny that it exists. That belief can be so strong it is impossible to distinguish what is true and what is false.

In people with chemical dependency, denial grows to the point where they lose the ability to accurately cope with daily situations. They try to twist fact to conform to give them permission to continue using.  When confronted, it becomes 'I don't have a problem, you have a problem.'

Denial is not lying.

Denial is not like to people pointing at each other, 'you have a problem, no I don't, yes you do, no I don't'. It is more usually unintentional and beyond the realm of awareness.

An analogy might be someone telling a person they are snoring, the person who is snoring is not aware they are doing it at the time. Another example is sleeping, one are not really aware of it when it's happening, but it is evident to every one watching the sleeper.

The progression of denial

1. Minimizing.

The user says they use less than they are actually consuming. They will underestimate or refute the seriousness of the problem and consequences.

2. Excuses and rationalizing.

More and more excuses are made up and repeated to the point where they appear as fact to the user. Elaborate stories are concocted to justify use or situations set up to which drinking or drugging is 'only understandable'. For example, 'if you had my job you'd drink too'.

3. Blaming and playing the victim.

Denial comes into play by placing blame on another person or event rather than taking personal responsibility. It then seems to be the responsibility of the other person, not the user to solve the problem. For example drinking causes a student to not do homework and miss class and gets a failing grade. He blames the teacher for not liking him and thinks the teacher should lighten up.

Denial contributes to the addiction process by keeping the user insulated from reality. Punching through denial is like adding fact upon fact on a balance beam. Unfortunately, it usually takes an up close and personal crisis to tip the scales toward recognition of reality. An example might be an intervention, and accident or medical evidence.

Once denial is recognized the recovery process can begin. There is a great deal of information available on how to get a start on the resolution of denial in drug and alcohol addiction.