Denial can be one of the many symptoms of alcoholism, which can make it even more challenging to recover from the addiction. Many alcoholics struggle to realize the truth or get a clear picture of the reality of the situation. Even with interventions that are held by family members and friends, it can result in becoming defensive. If you consume alcohol regularly and continue to increase your dependency on the substance, you may be wondering if you have an addiction. You may not be sure if you’re giving it too much thought or if you’ve been in denial. Here are a few signs that you’re in denial and should consider seeking help from professionals.
Blaming Other People
There are a few main signs that you’ve been in denial about being an alcoholic, which includes blaming other people. You may blame your drinking on your situation, people who have hurt you in your life, or your family history. You may find it difficult to take responsibility for your decisions and feel like it’s out of your control. Once you realize that you’ve been the only person responsible for your drinking, it can allow you to feel empowered to recover from it. Although there may have been triggers that caused you to consume alcohol, you can start to focus on healing from your pain or trauma.
Hiding Your Drinking
Alcoholics commonly hide how much they drink from their family members, friends, and employers. If you find yourself being discrete about how much you’re drinking, it’s a sign there’s a problem. Eventually, your loved ones will uncover the truth and will catch you in lies, which can strain your relationships. Consider keeping track of how many drinks you consume each day, which can make it easier to understand the severity of the problem. This can allow you to get a clearer picture of your addiction and realize it’s time to seek help. You can also pass on the information to a professional.
Comparison
Comparison can make it easy to downplay your addiction and avoid taking it seriously. You may find yourself comparing your alcohol consumption to a relative or a friend who drinks more than you. This can allow you to justify having one more drink or assume that everyone drinks alcohol each day. You may even make excuses for your drinking because it’s legal compared to using illegal drugs like other people you know.
If you assume that other people who are alcoholics don’t have problems, it can allow you to excuse your alcoholism and continue it over time. Avoid focusing on other people, and take the time to realize you have an addiction that will start to catch up with you. It can even start to influence other people in your life, like your spouse or children.
Take a Look at Your Enablers
Many people fail to recover from alcoholism or realize they have a problem because of other people in their lives who enable their addiction. You may have a parent that makes excuses for your or allows you to feel better about going back for another drink. The help you get from enablers can be just as harmful as the choices you make and can cause you to deny the problem when you have people on your side.
Once you hit rock bottom, you may realize your problem has gradually become more severe. Consider the people who have failed to confront you or have provided you with money to purchase more alcohol. It may be time to establish boundaries as you acknowledge the alcoholism and start the journey to recover from the addiction. The support system you need should consist of people who love you but will hold you to a higher standard.
Saying You’ll Quit Tomorrow
When you find yourself saying you’ll stop drinking tomorrow, it’s a sign you’ve developed an addiction. This can continue for many months or years until alcoholism has started to affect every area of your life. Try taking a different approach, which may include seeking professional help or attending an AA meeting. Seek out the help of other people to discuss the problem and get a better understanding of it. This can allow you to wake up to the problem and realize it’s a lot more serious than you think. If you think you may be in denial about being an alcoholic, reach out to our counselors today. You can call us at 844-639-8371.