When you have a serious substance use disorder, life becomes a game of survival. Each and every day is dedicated to avoiding withdrawals and hiding the outward signs of chemical dependency from friends, family and co-workers.
On top of that, feeding an addiction means developing an arsenal of psychological defense mechanisms. People struggling with addiction have to learn how to shield themselves from the reality of their behaviors.
Whether you label these defense mechanisms excuses or lies, it all boils down to rationalizing the addiction. And believe it or not, addicts lie to themselves more than anyone else.
When your actions have tainted everything you once held dear, yet you continue participating in that pattern of destruction, lying to yourself essentially becomes the path of least resistance.
Many addicts have never known a social life, or a sex life, without drugs in the equation. The sobering truth is, life will be too short if you don’t end or greatly reduce your substance abuse.
Let’s explore the 6 common lies all addicts eventually tell themselves and you..
Lie #1: I don’t care about my life and I don’t care if my addiction kills me.
It’s a sad, low point when a person believes that life is meaningless. They are so consumed with pain and grief that the depression seems to justify the rampant substance abuse.
This is a vicious cycle: the more they use, the worse they feel. If only they could realize that abusing drugs and/or alcohol is the largest barrier that holds them back from discovering a meaningful existence.
Lie #2: I’m in control of my substance use. I can stop whenever I want to.
Control is a big deal for most addicts. This statement allows them to feel like they’re still calling the shots in life; they don’t want to admit they’re chained to their drug(s) of choice.
Deep down, most addicts are desperately searching for some kind of justification and – if they can just convince themselves that addiction is a personal choice – it almost feels like they’re in control.
Lie #3: I would never be able to manage my problems without drugs or alcohol.
When you’re struggling with addiction, even the smallest life problems can become amplified. Everyone has issues, but addicts convince themselves there’s no way to survive without self-medicating. What they don’t realize is that substance abuse makes things worse, and addiction is likely causing a majority of their problems.
By living this lie, addicts can feel as if their substance abuse is somehow warranted. It allows them to justify being stuck in a drug-fueled rut.
Lie #4: I’m nothing like Johnny. He’s in bad shape and he definitely needs help.
Addicts like to compare themselves to other addicts as a way to gauge their level of substance abuse. They’ll say things like “Johnny got busted for two DUIs last year, but I never get behind the wheel when I’m wasted.”
As long as there is someone out there who’s much worse off, it’s easy to feel superior and justify your less-severe addictive behaviors. The twisted comparison is really just a foreshadow of what may happen if the person doesn’t get professional help, and soon.
Lie #5: My addiction doesn’t affect anyone else.
This is probably the most universal lie among addicts. Despite seeing pain and confusion on the faces of loved ones, it’s easier to deny that reality. Instead, they see friends and family members as enemies, constantly judging and trying to dictate their path in life. They confuse concern with control and often respond with, “If I want to do drugs, then that’s what I’m going to do, and you can’t stop me.” This lie represents the selfishness that plays such a large role in addiction.
Lie #6: Life without drugs and alcohol is boring. Life is too short to be sober!
Giving up your drug(s) of choice in pursuit of a healthy, sober lifestyle can be very scary for addicts. The process includes finding new hobbies, new friends, new ways to celebrate, and new ways to relax. Just because you’re sober doesn’t mean the party has to stop.
This common lie comes from a place of fear.
Source : http://beat.drugabuse.com/6-lies-addicts-tell/