Finding the Truth in Addiction

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 be done in a selective manner. Instead of making proactive choices, you are reduced to operating based on reactive habits that stem from lies. If someone you love is struggling with addiction, please consider talking about it with a professional. Uncovering the truth is an important step toward family recovery. Taking time to address the things you are in denial about is not a negative decision. It will enable your family and your addicted loved one to get better.

Denial prohibits people from getting to know who they truly are and what life is truly like. Sometimes for a child of a drug addict or alcoholic, it can be painful to look at the past as it really was, instead of through the lens of denial, but this also allows for hope, understanding, and new opportunities. By working with a professional to understand why Dad or Mom really was sick all the time or laid off from so many jobs will allow you to break free from the past and create positive life opportunities.

Right Path Drug Rehab firmly believes in incorporating family therapy into addiction treatment. If your loved one needs help, please call our helpful intake coordinators today. We have helped countless clients and their families to achieve peace, healing, and sobriety. Our staff of professionals is committed to helping family members work through the pain and hurt of addiction. Each family member will be encouraged to be honest and truthful about how their loved one’s addiction has affected them, so that the addicted individual can begin to make amends.