There is nothing worse in this life than the practice of self deception. Believing our own lies is ludicrous. Fool yourself, you’re a fool! Here are the top ten lies the addict tells themselves, the hidden truth behind the lie and how to overcome it!
Lie number one: I am not an addict!
This is the greatest of lies that one tells themselves. The truth is hard to swallow. However, we realize that individuals have difficulty coming to grips or accepting that they are clearly on a progressive and steady pace to full blown addiction or alcoholism.
This is the lie that often the addict tells themselves early on prior to the What the heck!
Lie number three: I will only “use” once in a while.
Funny thing is they truly believe this to be true in the beginning. They often will have some success but they always end up back in excessive and abusive use followed by dependence.
Lie number four: I can handle it.
Whet they really should be telling themselves is I can handle jail, detox, rehab, hospitals, divorce, and every other negative consequence that follows their use!
Lie number five: I can’t recover.
They want to believe that they have given up, but they have not. They are frustrated and in pain. They do not know where to turn and need help desperately.
Lie number six: AA and NA suck, it is a cult!
They are clueless, the ours sent them or probation has sent them or they attend AA or NA in jail or prison. They have no idea of the healing power of mutual support groups.
Lie number seven: I “use” to self medicate.
The big lie, they heard this somewhere and it sounds really good. Makes them feel justified about their use.
Lie number eight: I need “something” to keep my sanity.
Well how about recovery? Addiction is insanity and they know it.
Lie number nine: Everybody does it.
Sophomoric! What are we in High School? If everybody jumped off the bridge would you? Don’t answer that!
Lie number ten: Why?
The True Lie! Our brain searches for meaning and when it comes to addiction we want to know why. The sad part of this is the answer is not what we want to hear. The answer is simple, but disturbing. “Because you are an addict”. It is not because you are depressed, traumatized, have a mental illness, don’t have a mental illness, abandonment, grief, none of these typical ways of thinking, it is because you are an addict.
So how do I overcome this creature? Recovery! Plain and simple recovery, admit that you need help, ask for help and take the help. Enter a treatment program, followup with aftercare and mutual support groups and live a recovered life!
