mahoney

My question is does someone who can drink a bottle of booze in 24 hrs, go thru 90 pain pills in a week and 150 Atavan in a month...know they are addicted or in other words..how can they still be in denial?

Etimee

Hi Mahoney and welcome to SR!

I think it is just easier that way for someone to be in denial. If not, they'd have to make a life change. They just don't realize that they wouldn't have to go it alone. We'd be there for love and support and be proud too.

I am glad that you are here and that you are getting some of your own support.

Etimee

Gabe

Denial is part of the addiction gig.
I think they know, somewhere deep in the best part of them.
But that part is blocked from the rest of them by the addiction.

Little Missy

My disease told me, what I was doing was normal. Everybody else was screwed up!! Sometimes it takes awhile for that light bulb to come on!! Keep the faith!!

earlybird

This is what a substance abuse Doctor told me,........he said that 'Denial' just means the alcoholic is DENYING they have a problem. Almost one hundred percent of them KNOW they are alcoholics, they just wont admit it. So denial doesnt mean nessesarily that the alcoholic is oblivious to their own drinking problem. It means they are well aware of it, but, think they can still fool others into believing they are normal. They are lying to themselves. Now,...some,...after a while,...start buying into their own BS. But deep down,....they always know. This girl that I met in Rehab told me once that she used to be a cutter. She would slice up her ankles when she got stressed, depressed, or upset. She said it "released" anger. Her sister said it best when one day she caught her doing it. Her sister said "What the #$#% are you doing??....you are CRAZY!!" The girl says..."No Im not,...lots of people do it" To which her sister replied without pause,..."Lots of people are crazy"

We try and reason with others to get them to buy into our BS, so we in turn, can feel OK with our own behavior.

velvet

If they acknowledge the addiction, then they figure they might have to do something about it. And it's definately part of the addiction.

Sugah

I knew I had a problem....knew for certain. However, I was able to convince myself I was a martyr, an artist, a romantic, a tough girl...whatever it took. The rationalizations and how they make sense to the addicted mind are...well, insane.

It took a moment of clarity, a HP, twelve steps and a sponsor to get me right--or at least as righted as I am at this point. The pain of using had to exceed the pain of getting clean. At least for me.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

miss communicat

The quantity consumed doesn't matter as much as a person's quality of thoughts. I never consumed those quantities, yet I drank alcoholically, for me, for years. While doing it, I denied alot of true things: that I had a problem with alcohol, that I had a Higher Power, that I must stop.

I came to see that I had a problem with drinking, and I came to see that my Higher Power could help me stop. Even while I knew that, until I actually DID, I wrestled with the powerlessness concept for a while longer.

I heard someone say in an AA meeting, "I had no problem admitting I am an alcoholic. To me, the problem was admitting my powerlessness."

I guess that fairly well sums up the stages my denial has been through. Its different for everyone, I'm sure. The person you described must know he has a depenency going.

Sarahrun

mahoney, i am struggling with that same question. i am mentally exhausted with it. It would be one thing to struggle with someone to help them succeed, but when they can't even admit that they need or want help, the struggle seems to be mine alone. Keep writing about it - we can help eachother with our experiences, that is what i am hoping!

Phinneas

Exactly!

autwalla

I am new here lady friend helped me through tough time by visiting talking just friends she was and addict had recovered got her 8 year old daughter back. Her husband died she started one relationship he was married another with her AA sponser she started staying with him nights neglecting daughter . went on two day binge lost daughter to dhs
on day of hearing to get daughter back she got arrestted for possession. I bailed her out of jail started haVING FEELINGS FOR HER AS SHE WAS STAYING WITH ME WAITING TO GET INTO REHAB SHE IS STILL IN LOVE WITH AA SPONSER BUT HE DOESNT WANT HER HE IS HAVING HIS OWN PROBLEMS

mahoney

Thank you all so much. I am very down and out myself right now and it helps to know people cared enough to answer my question and offer so much support. I'm so glad I found this board. Thank God for all of you.

jmhs002

You know and you don't know. You know and you don't want to know. This can't be happening in my life. You wait for something to make you change. Until one day you decide that you have had enough. It took me several months of sobriety to gain some perspective on just what a vicious cycle I was in - drinking everyday for years and years. Sobriety has been such a positive change in my life - can't imagine going back.
JMHS