Common Lies Every Addict Has Told Themselves
No one starts out as an addict. But as patterns of behavior become more dramatic, the lies we tell ourselves balloon. Before we know it, we’re living in a bubble of craving, outlandish behavior, and irrational thought.
Let’s check out some common lies we tell ourselves when it comes to addictions:
1. “Wow, I’m probably the only one to ever get blasted on wine, Facebook message all my high school boyfriends while singing along to Third Eye Blind, then pass out on the couch half naked instead of doing the dishes. I definitely can’t tell anyone about this.”
2. “Every time I go out with this crew, they offer me more substances than I can swallow. I end up barely remembering the weekend and happy I made it home alive. But this time? We’ll all go out and I think it will be really different.”
3. “My job is tough, and I deserve a six-pack of Bud to unwind in the evening.”
4. “Hey, I just take a pill or two at night to help me sleep. Then something else, right, to help me wake up in the morning? But that can make me nervous, so maybe something to soothe out the nerves after that. And then I might be tired, so something to keep me up. Until I need the pills at night again, to help me sleep. So really, I’m just self-medicating.”
5. “People would be horrified to be around me in social situations sober. Put some drinks in me, and I’m the life of the party! I get loud, I crack jokes, I barely remember what I do. I’m hilarious.”
6. “Last weekend I humiliated myself in front of a handful of coworkers and friends because I drank too much. But hey, you know what sounds like fun this weekend? Drinking!”
7. “Doesn’t everyone keep whiskey in their bottom desk drawer? I mean it’s five o’clock somewhere, right?”
8. “I don’t think my family and friends, who care about me more than anything else on this entire planet, would want to know about this exhausting, debilitating secret of addiction I’m suffering alone through right now. I should just struggle on in silence.”
9. “It’s easier to perpetuate this incredibly powerful cycle of addiction forward regardless of consequences than seek some sort of help.”
10. “People won’t get it.”
11. “This is hopeless.”
Any of these sound familiar? Hey, you aren’t alone. Even if you feel like you’re the only one crawling around your carpet searching for those last few crumbs of coke, trust us, someone has gone through this before you, and someone else will (unfortunately) go through it again. If you’re struggling with addiction, don’t buy into the lies your head is telling you. Help is here.
