Often in the process of working with people suffering from addictions, I come across the fact that a person, despite what is happening in his life, manages not to notice his illness, not to recognize obvious existing problems. For example, having lost control over the use of alcohol or other drugs, do not admit that you are dependent. The most interesting thing is that the patient can be quite successful in material terms, have a higher education, or even several higher educations, but at the same time he spends his intellect on protecting the opportunity to continue to destroy his life and the lives of loved ones. The question arises: why does this happen? The whole point is that the psyche is protected from changes. In our society, a diagnosis of alcoholism or drug addiction is perceived as a shameful stigma, and no one wants to admit such a problem in themselves. Moreover, if a person regularly uses, then his thinking and self-criticism are greatly reduced. But a person often makes a choice based on his emotional state, and not on logic. The trouble is that until the problem is recognized, nothing can be done about it. What can you hear from the majority of people suffering from addictions? Here I will briefly describe the main defense mechanisms of the psyche that prevent awareness of the disease and the recovery process. Denial of the problem: You can hear a complete denial of the problem. Everything is fine with me, yes I have binges, but I myself stop, I use drugs, but I work, I play, but everyone has their own little shortcomings. What's wrong with drinking after work to relax? Minimization The degree of losses and dangers from addictions is downplayed: I drink a little; sometimes I use for relaxation, I play for a small amount, but I always pay off my debts. Repression: Only part of the information that supports the addiction is perceived, and I also “forget” about what problems there were from using the day before. Illusion of control There is often an illusion that you can easily quit using or gambling, you just need to want it, but here’s the thing – you don’t want it or it doesn’t work out. It sounds like: I have everything under control, I can handle it myself without help, I can use normally... Projection They don’t notice their problems, but project them onto others: It’s their problems I’m fine. Comparison with other addicts Comparison with other people who are completely mired in the problem, and against their background everything looks good, which means nothing will be done for recovery Empty fantasies An addict “feeds breakfast” to himself and others: I’ll definitely go tomorrow to undergo treatment, tomorrow I will definitely start a new life, and today I will use it for the last time. ...But a new day comes and tomorrow never comes. Empty reasoning. Spelling out a problem, without any action. Presenting exceptions as rules. For example: everyone lives like this, for example, the grandfather of a friend of mine drank every day and lived 112 years, and his neighbor, an athlete, did not drink and died in an accident. Justification for addiction: Finding reasons for using not in yourself, but in external circumstances. Example: I drink (shoot drugs, gamble) because: my personal life is not going well, the country is a mess, the boss is not a smart person, I’m relieving stress, no one understands me, the moon is in the wrong phase, I’ve been jinxed, etc. SubstitutionIn this case, a lot of reasons are looked for not to engage in one’s recovery; one looks for what should be done first. For example: first I earn money, get a job, then quit; getting married, etc. and only then will I give up addictive behavior. Translation into humor A person does not take the topic of addiction seriously, looking for funny things, reasons to laugh. Thus, all these protective mechanisms can hinder both awareness of the problem and recovery.