dealing with the real issues.”
Armstrong also discussed some of the key patterns of denial including avoidance, where someone struggling with addiction will deflect questions about themselves; absolute denial, where someone struggling with addiction will completely deny that they are addicted; minimizing, where problems are downplayed; rationalization, where someone struggling with addiction will justify their substance abuse; blame, where an addict will point fingers at others rather than themselves; and compliance, where an addict says they are willing to change in order to escape the conversation.
“There are a lot of different forms of denial that will get you to the same place,” Armstrong said.
In Part 2, Armstrong will discuss the best strategies to chip away at denial.
