Patterns of Denial: A Guide to Overcome

Denial is a pattern in which an individual does not accept reality and maintains comfort by not accepting painful realities. Denial has many types, which is also called defense mechanism and pattern of denial. There are different patterns of denial, and by using these patterns, an individual copes with difficult and painful feelings. Seek professional help from willing ways karachi, the best addiction treatment center in Karachi, which provides you essential support for patients dealing with denial and its related challenges.

There is a pattern of denial;

  1. Avoidance: In this denial pattern, an individual has an interest in all kinds of discussion except his weak point, like addiction (usage of drugs). An individual does not respond to drugs discussion. Whenever anyone wants to discuss drug abuse, he starts to talk about other topics and discusses here and there topics and never comes on point.
  2. Rationalizarion: this pattern of denial, an individual gives an explanation and makes excuses for taking drugs, which can be addressed through effective outpatient addiction treatment. For example, i’ve got fail in the examination cause of that i was feeling so stressed, and as a result of the stress, i did drugs.
  3. Blaming:Blaming is also a denial pattern where individual blame on others for taking his drugs. He never accepts responsibility for taking drugs on his own self. Instead, he blames others. For example, my partner is not the caring cause of that that i have to take drugs, and my boss is not good with me, that’s why i have to do drugs.
  4. Comparison: In this pattern of denial, an individual compares his self and his level of disease with others, which highlights the importance of understanding sex addiction. He forces others to agree that he is not an addict and that he takes drugs in a controlled manner. He says that i take control, and i don’t take many drugs, my health is good, and the addict is who sits on the roads and cannot take their responsibilities, but i am okay, and i am fine.
  5. Honesty: Honesty is also a defense mechanism where an individual accepts all his deeds, whatever he has done, even that related to addiction. He accepts whatever he has done and shows he is so guilty. In this case, Sadaqat clinic Karachi is the best rehabilitation center in karachi, where they do work on denial management.
  6. Strategic hopelessness: Strategic hopelessness in this denial, an individual shows hopeless behavior and makes others hopeless about his addiction behavior, emphasizing the need to overcome addiction challenges, by saying I cannot be sober in life, and it’s impossible to recover.
  7. Flight into health: In this denial pattern, as an individual feeling a bit better, he thinks his himself that he is all right and he is cured, and there is no need for more treatment or says that i am in recovery and i have no need for taking more treatment.
  8. Recovery by fear: In this pattern of denial, an individual thinks that he has no need for treatment and he can be recovered if he thinks about his loved ones and about his organs; he can give up taking drugs.
  9. Humor: Humor is also a defense mechanism where an individual behaves or acts in a joking style as anyone targeting his addiction. For example, he laughs a lot when anyone wants to say something about addiction. 

Antidote for denial:

There are two antidotes for denial.

  1. Acceptance
  2.  Problem-solving
  • Acceptance: Acceptance, along with understanding the causes of personality disorders, is the first antidote for denial. In order to stop denial, we must learn to develop a peaceful acceptance of the truth. There is a need to acknowledge the truth about what is going on in addiction. If an individual accepts that he has getting addiction, he will search and seek help for treatment, but if he doesn’t accept the fact, he will never go for the treatment, so there is a need to accept and face reality. Accepting reality is bitter and harsh cause if we don’t accept the fact problem gets more and more worst.
  • Problem-solving is also an antidote for denial. In this step, an individual finds a solution to his problem. The  first antidote for denial is to accept reality and accept anything which has occurred, and in the second antidote, you’ll find out the solution to the problem. For example, if someone has anger issues, first he has to admit that he has anger issues, then he should find a solution for his problem. Whenever i feel anger, i will move on and take a deep breath same, like an addiction. First, an individual accepts that he has an addiction disease, and then he will find out the solution for this disease which is treatment.

Written by: Sumaira Parveen

Clinical Psychologist

Sadaqat clinic Karachi

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