When it comes to addiction, people soon become pros at fooling others, and themselves. Denial is as common in addiction as drug use is, and it’s one of the things that keeps people addicted and stops them from seeking drug and alcohol treatment when they should.
If you tell yourself the following things, you may want to stop and think if you’re trying to convince yourself you’re not an addict when the signs are pointing to the fact that you are.
I Can Control It
If you find yourself telling other people and yourself that you can control your drinking or drug use, there’s a big possibility it’s already a problem. People who aren’t addicted to drugs or alcohol don’t think about trying to control their use, because their use isn’t out of control.
I Can Stop Whenever I Want
Addicts and alcoholics say this all the time, especially when family and friends start to comment on the excessiveness of their use. If you’ve said that you can quit using whenever you want then do it. For a week. See if you can get through seven whole days without using. If not, you know it’s a problem.
My Life Hasn’t Fallen Apart
It’s a flat out lie that all addicts’ lives fall apart or that you must be at rock bottom to get help. Millions of addicts go to work every day, pay their bills, and keep their families. The homeless addict that steals to support his or her habit is NOT the normal addict. And just because your life hasn’t fallen apart doesn’t mean that it’s not unmanageable.
It’s Not a Good Time
Whether it’s almost vacation time, close to someone’s birthday, or you’re just finishing up a big project at work, there’s never going to be a better time to quit using drugs than right now. There’s always going to be a reason not to quit, what you need to find is a reason to quit. If you keep telling yourself you’ll stop drinking or using after this or after that, or once you’re not so stressed out, it’s never going to happen. Instead, seek help now. It’s as good of a time as any.
It’s Only Impacting Me
If you thinking that using drugs or drinking is only impacting you, you’re wrong. While addiction makes everyone feel alone, it is by no means an individual disease. No, addiction impacts your whole family. Your friends. Your coworkers. And society at large.
Instead of thinking that you’re the only one suffering from your drug or alcohol addiction, realize just about everyone you know is impacted and that it’s time to get help.
Article source: www.addictions.com
