Drug Addiction Denial Red Flag When Someone Can’t Quit
The theme of drug addiction denial continues this week with a look at people who insist they can quit drinking or drugging any time. You know you’ve heard this, it’s such a common promise/excuse. As much as it sounds like something positive, it can be a dead giveaway for someone who has really lost control.
Saying They Can Quit Drugs and Alcohol Any Time But They Do Not
It’s not uncommon for a person with an addiction to say that they don’t really need to drink or use drugs, they just like it. Or they use it to cope, but they could really quit doing it any time. They just choose not to because of X, Y, or Z reason. They are in control and why are you harassing them, anyway??
The problem here is that someone is likely to see a problem with the addicted person’s health, behavior, attitude, social relations, or something before long. You can’t be addicted to a substance without having your life altered in ways that others can notice.
They Minimize Their Addiction By Sounding Strong
This person may give token acknowledgment to how drinking or drugs is putting more risk into their life. But all in all, they are still making it dangerously small in their minds. Judgment is impaired when a person is actively using a drug. It can also impair a person’s judgement by distorting how their mind processes the big picture.
By saying that they can quit any time or go for a long time without using, they are changing how the situation looks to them. They wrap it up in a pretty ribbon with a nice bow on top. While it’s a phony cosmetic statement, just saying this can help them feel like they are more in control. Of course, when presented with many reasons to quit, many people with addiction either don’t stop or have quick relapses after brief attempts to quit.
Diagnosis Of A Drug Addiction
One of the diagnostic criteria for an addiction is repeated attempts to quit. An addicted person might even claim that they have “quit” for periods of time. They might take this to mean that their current drug or alcohol use is also not problematic (even if it really is). Since they have quit in the past, they could quit now.
All this may sound good at first, but here’s the kicker. After all the quitting, that person chose to go back to drugs and alcohol again. If they had truly quit drinking or drugging, they would have remained sober and truly changed their life. Just saying a person has or could quit does not negate evidence pointing towards a big problem. Looking at a person’s longest stretches of sobriety (and why they went back to drugs and alcohol) will tell a more accurate story.
Use Drug Treatment to Quit Drugs and Alcohol
A person who goes to drug treatment or a drug rehab center is putting their money where their mouth is. It isn’t enough to just say a person can quit. If they give lip service and still have a wrecked life, they need more. Drug rehab can help make quitting a reality. However, be aware that someone who believes they are in control won’t want to hear that they need help.
Don’t give up – be there for them and gently remind them of what’s really going on. They’ll be more likely to choose drug rehabif they know they have someone to count on.
Tags: Drug Addiction Denial Red Flag When Someone Can't Quit, drug treatment, drug-rehab
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