Oftentimes in order to seemingly protect an addicted loved one, people make excuses for them or twist the truth. Family members often see what they want and hear what they want in order to deny that their loved one has a problem. Mom might overlook the missing money out of her purse or call Dad’s work and tell his boss that he’s sick instead of hungover. We often make excuses for our loved ones, and we do so out of love, or so we think; however, covering up these indiscretions only allows an addicted individual to get even sicker.   Denying addiction is a difficult action to move away from. By acknowledging the truth, it may be more painful than continuing to help cover it up. Family therapists often encourage these family members to put the denial to the side and examine their own behaviors. When people look away from and minimize the addiction of their loved one, they only allow that person to get sicker. Addiction is a serious disease that requires the supervision from professionals to treat.   The act of denial is saying or pretending that something isn’t true. This act is a common one in codependent relationships with addicted individuals. By creating a false perception of the world you live in with your addicted loved one, this lifestyle of denial will seep over into all areas of your life. When you distort your reality, it can’t…