5 Lies All Addicts Tell Themselves

For the addict life is a game of survival. Lies help to keep the addict in active addiction. Every day is a struggle to avoid withdrawals and to hide the outward appearance of being addicted. Many substance abusers develop an arsenal of defence mechanisms designed to keep the addiction going and buffer themselves from reality. Whether you consider these lies, excuses or tainted justifications, they are all ways used to rationalize their addiction. The insanity (doing the same thing and expecting a different result) of the addiction brings the addict to the point which the biggest lies are to themselves.

5 lies addicts eventually tell themselves:

Lie #1 I’m in control and can stop whenever I want.

Most addicts or alcoholics want to justify their use and still feel they are in control of the substance. If they can convince themselves that they can stop at any time they can feel that their addiction is a personal choice and they can quit whenever they want.

Lie #2 Life would be unmanageable without my drugs or alcohol.

Many addicts believe they are functioning in society just fine and they don’t have a problem. They believe they need to continue using to deal with the stresses and obstacles they face daily. They don’t realize they are making the issues worse and that their using is compounding the problems. By telling themselves these lies the addict/alcoholic justifies being stuck in this vicious circle.

Lie #3 I’m not in as bad a shape as so-and-so, they have a problem not me.

Many of those addicted like to compare their using to others to make them feel it’s not so bad. So-and-so has been in jail, or lives on the street. They feel a need to gauge their use to others to convince themselves its not too bad (yet). It is only a matter of time before things will get worse as the spiral of self destruction continues.

Lie #4 My addiction isn’t hurting anyone else.

It is easier for those addicted to deny the reality of the pain and heartache that they put their loved ones through than to acknowledge it. They wrongly confuse concern with the feeling that others want to control or dictate their life.

Lie#5 It’s my life and I don’t care if it hurts or kills me in the end.

This is when the addict is nearing the lowest point in their life, or what’s considered “rock-bottom”. They become stuck in a cycle of having a feeling of worthlessness, grief and despair which causes the substance abuse to usually escalate. The problem is the more they use, the worse they feel. There is little joy left in life and they feel its a waste to seek help to recover.

Reality is that many people suffering from addiction go on to the bitter ends; jails, institutions or death. But there is an alternative if help is wanted. Contact us at Always Hope to see what we can offer to you or your loved one.