Moving Beyond Denial

Denial can be a tricky concept. In some cases it is a defense mechanism that is considered healthy coping, but an overwhelming majority of the time it is the opposite.

The Mayo Clinic defines denial as:

"Refusing to acknowledge that something is wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety. You can be in denial about anything that makes you feel vulnerable or threatens your sense of control, such as an illness, addiction, eating disorder, personal violence, financial problems or relationship conflicts. You can be in denial about something happening to you or to someone else.

When you're in denial, you:- Won't acknowledge a difficult situation- Try not to face the facts of a problem- Downplay possible consequences of the issue"

But what does this have to do with addiction treatment and patient-centered care? The article linked below will go into a detailed analysis of the role that denial plays in the industry and how we adapt to it.

Denial in Addiction Sciences