Psychological defenses. Negation

Denial is an extremely easy-to-understand defense. Its name speaks for itself - the person using it, in fact, denies events or information that he cannot accept.

An important point is the difference between negation and repression, which consists in the fact that the information subject to repression was first realized, and only then it is repressed, and the information subjected to denial does not enter consciousness at all. In practice, this means that the repressed information can be remembered with some effort, and subjectively it will be perceived precisely as forgotten. The information that has been denied, a person, after refusing this protection, will not remember, but recognizes, because before that I did not perceive it at all as existing or making sense.

A typical example of denial is the first reaction to a significant loss. The first thing a person does when he receives information about the loss, for example, of a loved one, is to deny this loss: “No!” he says, “I didn't lose anyone. You are mistaken". However, there are many less tragic situations where people often use denial. This is the denial of one's feelings, in situations where it is unacceptable to experience them, the denial of one's thoughts if they are unacceptable. Denial is also a component of idealization, where the existence of flaws in the idealized is denied. It may be useful in critical situations where a person can save his head, denying the danger.

The problem with denial is that it cannot protect against reality. You can deny the loss of a loved one, but the loss does not disappear from this. You can deny the presence of a dangerous disease, but this does not make it less dangerous, rather the opposite.

Association with mental disorders and personality types

Denial is especially characteristic of mania, hypomania and, in general, people with bipolar affective disorder in the manic stage - in this state, a person can deny for an amazingly long time the presence of fatigue, hunger, negative emotions and problems in general, until it physically depletes his resources. body (which usually leads to a depressive phase). In addition, denial is one of the basic defenses of paranoid personalities, acting in tandem with "

Why does the feeling of the unreality of the world arise, and how to deal with it?

Causes and symptoms

In the language of specialists, a disorder in which the surrounding world suddenly loses its usual forms, colors and sounds is called derealization.

Derealization is not an independent disease, as a rule, it occurs against the background of the existence of other mental problems, often along with depression and neurasthenia. Or maybe a feeling of unreality of what is happening may appear in a generally healthy person - as a response to physical and mental overstrain, a stressful situation.

Also among the causes of derealization are called somatic (bodily) diseases, alcohol or drug addiction. The personality of a person also plays a role: in people who are impressionable, vulnerable, with an unstable psyche, the likelihood of a state of derealization is especially high.

In general, as observations show, the most common target for derealization is perfectionists, whose obsession with some task conflicts with the realization that they will not be able to bring it to life to the maximum. high level. Not surprisingly, in psychoanalysis, the feeling of unreality is seen as a consequence of intrapersonal conflict and long-term suppression of desires (perhaps unconscious).

How exactly does derealization manifest itself?

• Various visual distortions: the entire surrounding reality becomes flat or is seen in a mirror image, colors fade, objects lose their clear contours.
• Auditory Distortions: Sounds seem too quiet or too loud, muffled, or distant.
• The perception of space and time is changing: it is difficult to separate one day from another, time starts to slow down or, on the contrary, go too fast. Familiar places are perceived as unfamiliar, a person cannot understand where to move. This also includes the effects of deja vu and jamevu (“never seen”, when a familiar person or space seems completely unknown).
• Feelings and emotions are dulled.
• In severe forms, memory impairment occurs.

It is important that in the overwhelming majority of cases, critical thinking is preserved during derealization: a person understands that the objects in his perception are unreal, unusual, do not correspond to reality, the ability to control actions, awareness of the need to overcome this state remains.

Derealization is closely related to the phenomenon of depersonalization. Depersonalization is a violation of self-perception, when a person looks at his actions as if from the outside, he cannot control them (in this case, we are also talking about the preservation of critical thinking, since the person realizes that he does not control himself).

These two states often accompany one another, therefore, in psychological practice, one general term “derealization” is often used to denote a distorted perception of reality (the wording “derealization-depersonalization syndrome” is also used).

It is necessary to distinguish from derealization the denial of reality - one of the mechanisms of psychological defense. When it is turned on, the person is not aware of and does not accept facts or events that pose a threat, danger or source of fear to him. This is the main difference between denial and another method of protection - repression, in which information still enters consciousness, and then is forced out of there.

Denial is usually the first link in a chain of reactions to very painful information. According to the stories of acquaintances, many people probably know the picture from cinema or literature: a patient who categorically denies the news of his imminent death. Also, the denial of reality acts as a symptom mental disorder. It can occur with manic syndrome, schizophrenia and other pathologies.

How to return to the present

The states of derealization and depersonalization can last from a few minutes to several years. In the event of symptoms of a loss of reality, it is necessary to contact a specialist, because only he can determine whether the attack was caused by fatigue and stress or is a sign of a serious mental disorder.

Fortunately, almost always the prognosis for the treatment of derealization is favorable.

What to do during the attack itself? Firstly, in no case should you perceive it as the beginning of madness, on the contrary, try to convince yourself that derealization is temporary, and it will certainly be followed by a return to real life.

Secondly, try to normalize breathing. And finally, psychologists advise focusing on one object and looking at it, but without undue tension.

There is another technique aimed at reducing the feeling of fear that will inevitably arise during derealization: switching attention to something that brings pleasure (for example, eating candy).

This advice is especially relevant for those who have seizures on a regular basis. Gradually, a reflex will be developed that replaces fear with pleasant emotions, which will help to cope with panic.

Of course, all these manipulations do not cancel the need for a visit to the doctor. Even if the attack of derealization was single and short-lived, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

In general, derealization, like all perceptual disorders, of course, is much easier to prevent than to treat. What can be done to prevent derealization?

• Set a clear daily routine, alternate work and rest, get enough sleep.
• Do physical exercises.
• Reduce the amount of alcohol and cigarettes, if possible, abandon drugs that affect the psyche.
• Try to concentrate on everyday feelings: distinguish certain colors in the environment, isolate individual sounds, focus on any business, even the smallest one. If derealization is associated with visual distortions, pay special attention to the visual component of the world, if with acoustic - sound, and so on.
• Try to reduce the amount of stressors.

The last advice is probably the most difficult to implement, but at the same time the most significant: to live in harmony with yourself, do what you like, do not reproach yourself for mistakes and believe in the best - the most effective methods for maintaining a healthy psyche.

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Denial as a defense mechanism

Denial is a psychological defense mechanism in which a person rejects thoughts, feelings, desires, needs or realities that he cannot accept in himself on a conscious level. In other words, denial is when a person does not want to put up with reality. According to statistics, it is believed that almost 90% of deception occurs in this state.

Denial is when a person tries to avoid any new information that is inconsistent with the positive self-image that has already developed. Protection is manifested in the fact that disturbing information is ignored, the person seems to evade it. Information that is contrary to the attitudes of the individual is not accepted at all. Often, the defense mechanism of denial is used by people who are very suggestible, and very often prevails in people who are sick with somatic diseases. In such cases, the level of anxiety can be reduced by changing the person's perception of the environment that surrounds him. True, this is a very dangerous situation, because in this case, when any certain aspects of reality are rejected, the patient may begin to strongly and categorically resist the treatment that is important for life. People whose leading psychological defense mechanism is denial are quite suggestible, self-suggestible, they show artistic and artistic abilities, often lack self-criticism, and they also have a very rich imagination. In extreme manifestations of denial, demonstrative behavior is manifested in people, and in the case of pathology, hysteria or delirium begins.

Often, the psychological defense mechanism of denial is largely characteristic of children (they think that if you cover your head with a blanket, then everything around will cease to exist). Adults very often use the mechanism of denial as a defense against crisis situations (an illness that cannot be cured, thoughts about the approach of death, or the loss of a loved one).

There are many examples of denial. Most people are afraid of various serious diseases and begin to deny that they have even the most obvious symptoms of any disease just to avoid going to the doctor. And the disease at this time begins to progress. Also, this protective mechanism starts to work when one person from married couple“does not see” or simply denies the problems that exist in married life, and this behavior often leads to a breakdown in relationships and the collapse of the family. People who resort to such a psychological defense mechanism as denial simply ignore reality that is painful for themselves and behave in such a way as if they don't exist. Very often, such people believe that they have no problems, since they deny the presence of difficulties in their lives. Often these people have high self-esteem.

reality denial

Dictionary of practical psychologist. - M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998 .

See what "denial of reality" is in other dictionaries:

NEGATION - is a way of rejection by a person of his unconscious inclinations, desires, thoughts, feelings, in fact, indicating the presence of a repressed unconscious in him. In classical psychoanalysis, the patient's denial of unconscious desires and ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary in psychology and pedagogy

REALITY DENIAL - eng. reality, negation of; German realitatsverlust. Defense mechanism"I", manifested in the fact that various phenomena, facts, etc., containing a threat, danger, fear for this or that individual, are denied and not perceived by him. ... ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

Denial - A defense mechanism by which a person can deny one aspect of reality. For example, if someone cannot come to terms with the death of a loved one, he still talks to him, sets the table for him. even erases and irons it ... ... Great psychological encyclopedia

Holocaust Denial - Part of a Holocaust Series Ideology and Politics Racial Anti-Semitism ... Wikipedia

Denial (psychology) - This term has other meanings, see Denial (meanings). Denial is a mental process related to the mechanisms of psychological defense. Manifested as a refusal to acknowledge the existence of something undesirable. Contents 1 Description ... Wikipedia

Negation is a logical act opposite to affirmation. The purpose of mental activity is the knowledge of truth, in the formation of such affirmative judgments, which would reflect the connection and structure of reality; but achieving this goal is only possible ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

REALITY DENIAL - eng. reality, negation of; German realitatsverlust. The protective mechanism of the Self, manifested in the fact that various phenomena, facts, etc., containing a threat, danger, fear for this or that individual, are denied and not perceived by him ... Explanatory Dictionary of Sociology

REALITY CHECK - is a functional human activity associated with the distinction between the processes of perception and thinking, external objects and mental images, reality and fantasy, the external and internal world. When describing this phenomenon in psychoanalytic ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology and Pedagogy

Wittgenstein - (Wittgenstein) Ludwig () Austro English. philosopher, prof. philosophy at the University of Cambridge. Philos. V.'s views were formed as under the influence of certain phenomena in the Austrian. culture early. 20th century, and as a result of creative ... ... Philosophical Encyclopedia

Solipsism - (from Latin solus "only" and Latin ipse "self") a radical philosophical position characterized by the recognition of one's own individual consciousness as the only undoubted reality and the denial of ... ... Wikipedia

Denial of reality, deception of the mind and delusion

The disease of denial

Most people quite often (sometimes all their lives) are in a state of delusion, a restless mind deceives them, and this leads to a denial of reality. This is the burden that we acquire as we go through our lives. And the longer we carry these inner demons in us, the heavier our burden and the more difficult it is for us to free ourselves from it. Treatment in this case is the generally accepted way. The doctor acts as an outside observer, holding a mirror of our behavior before us. Meditation for these purposes is not so familiar tool. Through meditation, we can learn to act as an outsider and hold that same mirror in front of us. In doing so, we are taking an important step to link spiritual values ​​and everyday life together.

Without a share of conscious attention, we will remain prisoners of stereotypes previously developed by education. We carry our way of behavior and ingrained habits through life. In changing intimate relationships, we approach each encounter with a range of predispositions and long-established behaviors. These personal patterns are the most difficult to identify, because they are invisibly imprinted in ourselves. Like the course of a river, our long-established expectations determine the direction of our reactions and perceptions. Being deluded, our mind perceives the events of life through a distorted mirror, thus creating false conclusions. If we have low self-esteem, we will constantly feel criticized, and if we are deeply afraid, we will not be able to trust.

When we lack trust, we will try to make up for it with bravado. Self-justification, denial of responsibility, and blaming others all allow us to resort to denial of reality in an attempt to protect ourselves. When our minds are deluded, we can deny big and small mistakes, cause and effect, responsibility and ownership. The awakened contemplative mind, however, leaves no room for denying reality, for in the clear light of day the inner self cannot hide from itself. The denial of reality will be honored wherever the status quo prevails. We avoid seeing things as they are and distort the course of events in order to maintain an illusion that is pleasing to our eyes. We scapegoat others to protect ourselves. Although we recognize the truth at a deeply hidden level in the subconscious, we cannot openly admit our mistakes. Difficult relationships breed self-deception, which leads to unjustified accusations. We run from the truth in order to keep our self-image. Delusion of the mind, deceit and denial of reality are common coin Everyday life and everyday relationships. When we are ready to accept the light of awareness of the world around us, we are ready to find ourselves.

Be Conscious and Open

The way we look at the world and our own place in it shapes our habits, aspirations and behavior. A narrow view gives rise to a narrow perception. Looking at the world through the prism of limited ideas reduces everything around to the same extent. A narrow worldview creates a narrowed world. Each new opportunity that allows expanding these limits is discarded, not noticed, or simply perverted. New experience must be adjusted to the existing internal model of the world. If we seek to tie everything new to our existing preconceptions, we are constantly narrowing down our life experience. If we fail to notice the fluidity of life itself and understand it, then the very bridges that connect us are dismantled. On the other hand, if we manage to be open, we will grow and mature. If we try to build relationships through openness, then we begin to see things as they are in themselves, and not as products of our own prejudices. We are able to create the conditions under which internal changes can take place. Our self-preservation mechanisms are so subtle that we do not notice their work until we make the proper effort to observe them.

Meditation allows us to develop an observing consciousness, to create an observer within ourselves. Buddhism names six major delusions and twenty secondary ones. They call us to introspection. The path to the Western mysteries is usually opened by the call "Know thyself." If you are ready to find yourself, then you are seriously ready to start meditation. And do not be confused by the fact that your search will no doubt take a purely external form, the journey itself is actually made inside. Perhaps the time has come for a new call, because the way to yourself can be opened in a variety of ways. The expression "I am who I am" can serve as a new starting point, because you don't really need to go on a journey to find yourself, but simply open your eyes to who you are. This new call does not abolish change or growth, it only affirms that you are capable of absorbing everything to understand who you are in every moment. Try meditating on these words and see if they bring you insight into yourself.

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This is not! Negative negation

Denial as a psychological defense

In psychology, there are such concepts as defense and coping strategies (coping behavior). Very useful things in the life of every citizen. And very dangerous if used incorrectly!

One of the simplest and most powerful is denial.

Denial can be included as an independent defense. Very often it is part of other, more complex psychological defenses.

Denial often works automatically, unconsciously. But sometimes, on the contrary, it is a conscious choice of the type of behavior, and we are talking more about a coping strategy.

Denial is also used as an aggressive tool in manipulative techniques.

Denial as a psychological defense works as follows: a certain part of reality is simply ignored.

This is a very energy-intensive process for a person, and, as a rule, ineffective or completely destructive.

Sigmund Freud introduced the concept of psychological defense into psychology. Anna Freud offered a detailed typology and a more detailed study. Then, in one way or another, many scientists and practitioners worked with this topic.

It is believed that denial is one of the earliest psychological defense mechanisms. It is formed when the human cub is still small and helpless, and its ways of influencing the world are extremely limited.

"This" is NOT! is the negation formula.

When is denial justified as a defense mechanism?

1. A person defends himself from pain, fear, horror, from losses, denying the facts that have already happened. In the short term, this is an excellent adaptation mechanism. It allows you to act in the outside world "despite ...", and in the meantime, the deep layers of the psyche have time to assimilate new information about changing living conditions.

Very often, the first reaction to the news of the sudden death of a loved one is shock, and then “NO! THIS CANNOT BE!

Refusal to accept the terrible fact allows the survivors to take the necessary actions: finish work, put the children in for a while, take care of the burial, call friends, family and loved ones, ask for help, get to the place in the end, and so on.

During natural disasters or military operations, a part of reality is also not allowed into the limits of consciousness. A person needs to save and preserve life, and all resources go exclusively to this.

And only when the external environment and internal state allow it, the person, as it were, lets go of himself, and all the horror of what happened falls upon him. And then comes the time of suffering, restoration and acceptance of a new reality.

2. Denial also serves to preserve the personality and mind in the event of a severe incurable disease. Having taken the necessary measures (medication, hospitalization, etc.), a person most of the time lives in the “this is not there” mode. Very often, such an output is one of the best. Not every person has internal forces go out with similar reality face to face.

Here the psychological defense in the form of a denial of reality is only partly unconscious. When conditions change (new methods of treatment, or vice versa approaching death), denial is discarded.

3. The third option, it would be more correct to attribute it to coping behavior, since it is applied for the most part consciously.

I remember Scarlett O’Hara saying: “I won’t think about it today, I’ll think about it tomorrow”, and went to bed in the old, unchanged reality, so that in the morning with fresh forces to start coping with the “news” that fell on her.

Sometimes the conscious decision “I won’t think about it now, I’ll decide this issue then” turns out to be quite effective. Provided that either the circumstances change and the need for a solution disappears, or at the appointed time (or under the prescribed conditions), the person accepts the fact of the problem and solves it.

An excellent example here is the parable of the "good worker", who does a third of the orders of the authorities immediately, a third does after the first reminder, and a third "hangs on a nail" - "they are not there."

When, how and why denial of reality harms a person

I think many can remember their feelings in such a situation:

You are enthusiastically watching an interesting movie (go through level 43, nailing the penultimate monster; reading a book at the place when the main character stretched his lips to the lips of the main character; deeply focused on your thoughts; passionately rooting for your favorite team without taking your eyes off the TV ... ) and then someone abruptly, rudely interrupts you, bringing you down into everyday reality.

As a rule, a person will experience active irritation, discontent, anger.

The reason for this is the very unexpected transition from the state of “awake sleep” to the mode of conscious wakefulness, and the collapsed flow of information, and the need to somehow respond to all this.

Perhaps someone will remember situations when they denied him. Didn't hear, didn't see...

Now imagine that a person lives for years (!) in a world where part of reality is distorted. That is, part of his world and part of his psyche is blocked, frozen.

To maintain such an illusion sewn into the real picture of the world, a huge amount of psychic energy is needed. Accordingly, it simply does not remain for anything else.

A woman over the age of fifty lost one of her three children ... A few years later (!) She continued to maintain the same order in his room that was with him, talking only about him. At the same time, she practically did not notice the other two children. She, like an insect in amber, almost froze at the moment when a terrible misfortune happened. Work, family, two other children, grandchildren, her health, friends, home and dacha… she did not see any of this, continuing to remain in the stop world.

Just roughly estimate how much strength it takes to NOT notice the constant manifestations of those who were actually with her.

Part of the harm of denial lies in the enormous expenditure of vital energy to maintain the false belief that “it doesn’t exist.”

Another part of the harm from denial, often long-term, is due to purely material reasons. As part of reality is ignored, the disorder in it grows very, very much. What was once created and valued is being destroyed, skills and abilities are being lost. And when, one unexpected day, a person awakens from denial, among other things, he receives not just a problem, but a chic, overgrown quality problem. That is, his strength has become less, and the problem is much greater. And the need to solve it is more acute!

At thirty-two, Tatyana wondered: am I not an alcoholic? I drink only in a decent company, always on occasion, I drink good drinks ... She was frightened by the thought that she drinks alone a couple of times a week. True, still expensive quality booze.

Several times she decided to pause... BUT! Have you seen our calendar? Then you understand that the number of Holidays that celebrate the “holy cause” with alcohol, each time turned out to be too large for Tatyana.

And she just stopped thinking about it.

At thirty-eight, she was forced to turn to specialists, as she lost her job due to her addiction.

Elena raised her daughter, constantly struggling with betrayal and drunkenness of her husband. She suffered beatings from time to time. She was sure that he loved her. In his own way… That he appreciates her sacrificial love. In addition, she was too scared to think about an independent life. No work experience, with a little daughter in her arms…

Twelve years later, she had to face a difficult reality: a woman in her forties, with no work experience and with two children, learn to live and survive, as her husband considered her an “old twitchy hysterical woman” and left for another family.

It is very painful and bitter to regret the years of “awake sleep”, the time of denial, the time of lost strength and opportunities.

And it's good that someone has time to wake up, when you can still change something for the better.

And now, please, pay attention to such an interesting fact: as a rule, in a sect, no matter a religious or business sect, there is an active introduction to adherents (followers) of the idea “do not communicate with such and such”.

Part of reality is artificially distorted. People are persuaded to believe that "it is not." Under "this" are, as a rule, people who think differently. Expressing skepticism, doubts about the adequacy, correctness of the chosen line of behavior.

Regardless of everything else (teaching, group orientation, etc.), the very habit of ignoring a part of living life is harmful and dangerous.

How often do we deny reality over trifles

I suggest you conduct an interesting and instructive experiment. Watch the people around you and count how many times you hear such dialogues:

He yelled at me!

Yes? And I have five more reports to do!

Never mind! (Wave your hand, etc.)

He yelled at me!

Oh, my, my! And on last week... (text about twenty minutes).

He yelled at me!

What do you answer? Silent?! That's because you allow yourself to be treated like this ... (and again free text).

Instead of the first phrase, there can be any other. The bottom line is that in all these dialogues, the second interlocutor tells the first one “you are not”, your reality is not. He denies. Communicating in this way with children, we, imperceptibly for ourselves, teach them to live in a world where denial is the norm ...

Once you have completed your observations, try this conversation pattern.

He yelled at me!

In this case, the second interlocutor sees the first one, and helps him cope with unpleasant events, naming his feelings and showing that he is nearby.

There is no need to "jump" into reality if there is a problem with a good long term denial.

There is no need to continue to spend your life maintaining the illusion that there is no problem.

To begin with, you can explore the problem area in a detached, rational way. Understand the problem, evaluate your strengths, try on how it will be more convenient to take up its solution.

Then, gather your strength, “shake off the dust” from the resources that were previously set aside as unnecessary and slowly, like a responsible snail.

Please select a problem that worries you, but for some reason you do not want to think about. Or a problem that some people, friends, relatives tell you about. And you think you don't have it.

• Write it down.
• Now write down 10 objective facts that are directly related to this problem. Even if you think about them unpleasantly, uncomfortable.
• Read them carefully and check if they are facts? Or maybe it's your beliefs, ideas. Correct and supplement, please, your list.
• Now draw conclusions from these facts that help in solving your problem.
• Now write down how you feel.
• And what else hinders the solution of the problem.

In the last paragraph, there may also be a record of what is already clear, how and what to do now. Then the steps towards implementation should follow almost immediately (taking into account the real circumstances).

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK:

• • THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTER OF THE "UNHAPPY" PERSON

  His 2 main problems: 1) chronic dissatisfaction of needs, 2) the inability to direct his anger outward, contain it, and with it the containment of all warm feelings, every year makes him more and more desperate: no matter what he does, it’s better not to on the contrary, it only gets worse. The reason is that he does a lot, but not that. If nothing is done, then, over time, either the person will “burn out at work”, loading himself more and more - until he is completely exhausted; or his own Self will be emptied and impoverished, unbearable self-hatred will appear, a refusal to take care of oneself, in the long term - even self-hygiene. A person becomes like a house from which bailiffs took out furniture. Against the background of hopelessness, despair and exhaustion , energy even for thinking. Complete loss of the ability to love. He wants to live, but begins to die: sleep is disturbed, metabolism is disturbed ... It is difficult to understand what he lacks precisely because we are not talking about the deprivation of possession of someone or something.

  On the contrary, he has the possession of deprivation, and he is not able to understand what he is deprived of. Lost is his own I. It is unbearably painful and empty for him: and he cannot even put it into words. This is neurotic depression. Everything can be prevented, not brought to such a result. If you recognize yourself in the description and want to change something, you urgently need to learn two things: 1. Learn the following text by heart and repeat it all the time until you can use the results of these new beliefs:

  • I am entitled to needs. I am, and I am me.
  • I have the right to need and satisfy needs.
  • I have the right to ask for satisfaction, the right to get what I need.
  • I have the right to crave love and love others.
  • I have the right to a decent organization of life.
  • I have the right to express dissatisfaction.
  • I have a right to regret and sympathy.
  • ... by birthright.
  • I may get rejected. I can be alone.
  • I'll take care of myself anyway.

  I want to draw the attention of my readers to the fact that the task of "learning the text" is not an end in itself. Auto-training by itself will not give any sustainable results. It is important to live each phrase, to feel it, to find its confirmation in life. It is important that a person wants to believe that the world can be arranged somehow differently, and not just the way he used to imagine it to himself. That it depends on him, on his ideas about the world and about himself in this world, how he will live this life. And these phrases are just an occasion for reflection, reflection and search for one's own, new "truths".

  2. Learn to direct aggression to the one to whom it is actually addressed.

  …then it will be possible to experience and express warm feelings to people. Realize that anger is not destructive and can be presented.

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  BEHIND EVERY "NEGATIVE EMOTION" IS A NEED OR DESIRE, THE SATISFACTION OF WHICH IS THE KEY TO CHANGE IN LIFE...

  TO SEARCH THESE TREASURES I INVITE YOU TO MY CONSULTATION:

  YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A CONSULTATION FROM THIS LINK:

  Psychosomatic diseases (it will be more correct) are those disorders in our body that are based on psychological causes. Psychological causes are our reactions to traumatic (difficult) life events, our thoughts, feelings, emotions that do not find the timely, right for specific human expression.

  Mental defenses work, we forget about this event after a while, and sometimes instantly, but the body and the unconscious part of the psyche remember everything and send us signals in the form of disorders and diseases

  Sometimes the call may be to respond to some events from the past, to bring “buried” feelings out, or the symptom simply symbolizes what we forbid ourselves.

  YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR A CONSULTATION FROM THIS LINK:

  The negative impact of stress on the human body, and especially distress, is enormous. Stress and the likelihood of developing diseases are closely related. Suffice it to say that stress can reduce immunity by about 70%. Obviously, such a decrease in immunity can result in anything. And it’s also good if it’s just colds, but what if it’s cancer or asthma, the treatment of which is already extremely difficult?

  brekhoff

  Building is simple and intuitive, but building is hard!

  "And when you wrote your post about tomorrow's rain, did you think that now your wife and children will get wet, catch a cold and die? And you will be to blame, you heartless bastard!"

  "I understand that this bastard hopes to sit out in a warm house, and dooms all of us to innumerable torments in the rain! I hate you, burn in hell, you bastard!"

  "But in America it doesn't rain! And if it does, it's only democratic, but you, stupid cotton wool, don't understand this, because you are all saturated with imperial propaganda and a schizophrenic!"

  "And under Stalin there was no such garbage! We need to hang all the oligarchs, and we will live without rain!"

  In any, even the strongest family, relationship crises or situations can happen.

  In any, even the strongest family, relationship crises or a situation leading to divorce can happen. After all, life is made up not only of holidays, but also of everyday worries and difficulties.

  10 reasons that can destroy a marriage

  And how you can deal with minor troubles and problems every day depends on your family happiness. People don't become strangers overnight a strong family does not give a crack momentarily. This has to come to certain time. Minor quarrels and scandals, resentment, indifference, disparate views gradually, often quite imperceptibly, lead to coldness and rupture. Once in love, doves become completely alien and unnecessary to each other people. To avoid this situation, work proactively, study possible problems and keep them out of your family. And if you are already on the verge of a breakup, reconsider your mistakes and, perhaps, try to correct the situation.

  Psychologists identify ten main reasons that can lead any marriage to a dead end.

  1. Syndrome of denial of reality. This term implies the desire of one of the partners to remake or re-educate the character of the second. The fact is that in a state of falling in love, people tend to somewhat exaggerate the merits of their chosen one and not notice flaws, even obvious ones. And after some time, they suddenly realize that their object of adoration is not so white and fluffy. And here comes the panic and disappointment at the same time. The first thing that comes to mind is to fit your partner to your ideas of the ideal. And the upbringing and continuous demands begin!?

  Now, stop for a moment and come to reality! The only person you can change is yourself. If you clearly understand this truth, it will be much easier for you to live. Better, work on yourself and your ally will pull himself under you. Learn to love your spouse for who they are. Accept all their real strengths and weaknesses. There are no perfect people. Treat it like interesting game. After all, if we were all only with positive qualities, we would die of boredom and predictability. If you clearly understand that you cannot put up with any shortcomings of your partner, under any circumstances, then most likely you cannot avoid a relationship crisis.

  2. Incorrect distribution of roles in the family. Before marriage, each of the spouses had a parental family with a certain distribution of responsibilities and roles in the family. Well, if these models match, the issue is resolved by itself. But if they are fundamentally different, problems with this cannot be avoided. Spouses will constantly make claims to each other: who should provide the family budget, who is engaged in certain economic affairs, the participation of each in the upbringing of children, and so on.

  To solve this problem, you need to sit down at the negotiating table. Forget about your previous experience and establish your new family charter, distribute roles and responsibilities together, agreeing on all points.

  3. Total control. This problem has its root of evil in banal selfishness. Unhealthy control of the partner's personal space gives rise to rejection of the controlled. And the controller himself gets even more excited with the resistance of the other.

  Build relationships only on trust and love, without this you will never achieve happiness.

  4. Problems of a financial nature. The constant lack of money and the uncertainty of the future will never be on the side of a strong relationship. With a cute paradise and a hut, this is an unjustified and outdated myth that is quickly broken in everyday life.

  5. Self-doubt. If you constantly doubt, ask for advice on any trifles, you cannot solve even the simplest problems on your own, fatigue comes from this very quickly. At first, this behavior may seem cute, but over time it will become very annoying.

  Any person should be self-sufficient and holistic. Only then will it be interesting for many years.

  6. Work troubles. Never transfer the difficulties and troubles associated with work to your loved ones.

  7. Crashes in intimate relationships. This fact cannot be ignored, otherwise you cannot avoid cooling. Men are more acute about this. Try to maintain interest in each other, bring piquancy and experiments into your personal life.

  8. The birth of a child. Pregnancy and the birth of a baby completely change the foundations and rhythm of family life. Often in worries and troubles, spouses push each other into the background and gradually move away. Understand that the child does not take someone's place, but only changes your status. Be attentive and patient, do everything together.

  9. The fact of treason. If one of the spouses decided on this, it means that their relationship is a complete disaster. As a rule, those who have changed are not looking for momentary carnal pleasure, but for understanding, warmth, and pity.

  There are two options for the development of events: either you forgive once and for all, without constantly causing a feeling of guilt of the screwed up and build relationships anew, or leave.

  10. Influence of other people. It is bad if a young family lives with their parents, intervention in this case cannot be avoided. Sometimes it can be friends, colleagues, neighbors or anyone.

  Your family is your fort and fortress, do not let anyone interfere and impose your stereotypes and opinions. Stop any attempts to influence immediately at the root, otherwise you may be seriously injured.

  Negation

  This is an important characteristic of both addiction and codependency. Therefore, I want to dwell on it in more detail. Denial is the ability to ignore, to deny what is happening. The ability to not believe your eyes. Denial is manifested in the fact that codependents do not see their problems. “I have no problems, my husband has problems, treat him, but I don’t need help.” Denial contributes to a long stay in illusions. "My husband drinks, but today he might be sober." Family members do not notice that their life has become unmanageable and that they cannot feel normal, cannot cope with the duties of a mother, a wife, that they have lost part of their professional performance. Denial hinders understanding of one's codependency.

  Denial is both our friend and our enemy. Its friendly side lies in the fact that it gives us the opportunity to gather strength until we are ready to accept a reality that is too painful. Denial helps to survive in unbearably difficult circumstances. This is a gentle way of dealing with a traumatic situation. Maybe being under the protective umbrella of denial is buying us time. After a while, we will be ready to face the harsh reality.

  When our thinking is controlled by denial, then one part of our personality knows the truth, another whispers distortion, downplaying the truth, clouding the mind.

  The unfriendly side of denial is that it does not allow us to see problems clearly, it leads us away from the actions by which we could end the pain, we spend too much energy on fantasies instead of really taking care of ourselves. Denial allows us to distort our true feelings - to dull them, to twist them. We lose touch with ourselves. We continue to be in an unbearably painful situation and think that this is normal. Denial makes us blind in relation to feelings, our own needs, to our personality as a whole.

  I am not advocating that you be harsh and harsh with yourself. I am not asking you to throw off your denial in one moment and “see the light”. Denial is like a warm blanket, protection from the cold, security in the cold. We cannot throw it off instantly in the cold, but we can start to take off the blanket in the room if the cold is replaced by warmth. My point is that under safe circumstances, with support, with the help of a therapy group, at a time when we are ready to face reality, we will throw off the blanket that has protected us.

  You can ask God to give you the courage to start changing your life, to change in the direction of recovery from codependency. In the process of recovery, we may resort to the services of denial more than once or twice. Each time, under the pressure of a cold wind, we can afford to wrap ourselves in a warm blanket again. Then we'll shed the denial when we're warm and safe. This is a normal healing process. But we will see reality more and more clearly.

  It would be nice to learn to recognize your denial. Signs can be: confusion in feelings, lethargy of energy or a rapid escape from reality, too much desire to immediately do something and end everything that hurts, obsessive thoughts about the same thing, rejection of help and support. If you stay too long with those people who mistreat you, then inevitably the denial will come back to you. One can wish well to others and at the same time free oneself from their influence. You need to strive to surround yourself with warm people. Then we don't need to wrap ourselves in a blanket of denial.

  An alternative to denial is awareness of reality and acceptance (acceptance) of it. Gentle, gentle handling of oneself and compassion for oneself, along with compassion for others, help to achieve awareness and acceptance.

  Stages of accepting the inevitable

  In the life of every person there are illnesses, losses, grief. A person must accept all this, there is no other way out. “Acceptance”, from the point of view of psychology, means an adequate vision and perception of the situation. Acceptance of a situation is often accompanied by fear of the inevitable.

  American physician Elisabeth Kübler-Ross created the concept psychological help dying people. She studied the experiences of terminally ill people and wrote a book: "On Death and Dying." In this book, Kübler-Ross describes the staging of accepting death:

  She watched the reaction of the patients of the American clinic, after the doctors told them about the terrible diagnosis and imminent death.

  All 5 stages of psychological experiences are experienced not only by sick people themselves, but also by relatives who have learned about a terrible disease or about the imminent departure of their loved one. Loss syndrome or grief powerful emotions that are experienced as a result of the loss of a person are familiar to everyone. The loss of a loved one can be temporary, resulting from separation, or permanent (death). Throughout life, we become attached to our parents and close relatives, who provide us with care and care. After the loss of close relatives, a person feels destitute, as if a part of him was “cut off”, he experiences a feeling of grief.

  Negation

  The first stage of accepting the inevitable is denial.

  At this stage, the patient believes that some kind of mistake has occurred, he cannot believe that this is really happening to him, that this is not a nightmare. The patient begins to doubt the professionalism of the doctor, the correct diagnosis and the results of the research. In the first stage of "accepting the inevitable", patients begin to turn to larger clinics for consultations, go to doctors, mediums, professors and doctors of sciences, to whisperers. In the first stage, a sick person experiences not only denial terrible diagnosis, but also fear, for some it can continue until death itself.

  The brain of a sick person refuses to perceive information about the inevitability of the end of life. In the first stage of "accepting the inevitable", cancer patients begin to be treated with folk remedies, refuse traditional radiation and chemotherapy.

  The second stage of accepting the inevitable is expressed as the patient's anger. Usually at this stage, a person asks the question “Why me?” “Why did I get this terrible disease?” and begins to blame everyone, from doctors to himself. The patient understands that he is seriously ill, but it seems to him that the doctors and the whole medical staff they are not attentive enough to him, they do not listen to his complaints, they do not want to treat him at all anymore. Anger can manifest itself in the fact that some patients begin to write complaints about doctors, go to the authorities or threaten them.

  At this stage of "accepting the inevitable" a sick person begins to annoy young and healthy people. The patient does not understand why everyone around is smiling and laughing, life goes on, and she did not stop for a moment because of his illness. Anger can be experienced deep inside, or it can at some point “pour out” on others. Manifestations of anger usually occur at that stage of the disease when the patient feels well and has strength. Very often, the anger of a sick person is directed at psychologically weak people who cannot say anything in response.

  The third stage of the psychological reaction of a sick person to an imminent death is bargaining. Sick people try to make a deal or bargain with fate or with God. They begin to guess, they have their own "signs". Patients at this stage of the disease may think: "If the coin now falls tails down, then I will recover." In this stage of "acceptance" patients begin to do various good deeds, to engage in almost charity. It seems to them that God or fate will see how kind and good they are and "change their mind", give them long life and health.

  At this stage, a person overestimates his abilities and tries to fix everything. Bargaining or a deal may manifest itself in the fact that a sick person is ready to pay all his money to save his life. In the stage of bargaining, the patient's strength gradually begins to weaken, the disease progresses steadily, and every day he becomes worse and worse. At this stage of the disease, a lot depends on the relatives of the sick person, because he gradually loses strength. The stage of bargaining with fate can also be traced to the relatives of a sick person, who still have hope for the recovery of a loved one and they make every effort for this, give bribes to doctors, and begin to go to church.

  Depression

  In the fourth stage, severe depression occurs. At this stage, a person usually gets tired of the struggle for life and health, every day he gets worse and worse. The patient loses hope for recovery, he “give up”, there is a decrease in a sharp decline in mood, apathy and indifference to surrounding life. A person at this stage is immersed in his inner experiences, he does not communicate with people, he can lie in one position for hours. Against the background of depression, a person may experience suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

  Adoption

  The fifth stage is called acceptance or humility. In stage 5, “accepting the inevitable person has already practically been eaten by the disease, it has exhausted him physically and mentally. The patient moves little, spends more time in his bed. In stage 5, a seriously ill person, as it were, sums up his entire life, understands that there was a lot of good in it, he managed to do something for himself and others, fulfilled his role on this Earth. “I have not lived this life in vain. I have done a lot. Now I can die in peace."

  Many psychologists have studied the “5 stages of accepting death” model by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and have come to the conclusion that the research of the American woman was rather subjective, not all sick people go through all 5 stages, some may have their order broken or absent altogether.

  The stages of acceptance show us that this is not only the acceptance of death, but of all that is inevitable in our lives. At a certain moment, our psyche includes a certain defense mechanism, and we cannot adequately perceive objective reality. We unconsciously distort reality, making it convenient for our ego. The behavior of many people in difficult stressful situations similar to the behavior of an ostrich that hides its head in the sand. The acceptance of objective reality can qualitatively influence the adoption of adequate decisions.

  From the point of view of the Orthodox religion, a person must humbly perceive all situations in life, that is, the phasic acceptance of death is characteristic of non-believers. People who believe in God are more psychologically able to endure the process of dying.

Another early way to deal with adversity is to refuse to accept their existence. We all automatically respond with such denial to any catastrophe. The first reaction of a person who was informed of the death of a loved one: “No!”. This reaction is an echo of an archaic process rooted in children's egocentrism, when cognition is controlled by a prelogical conviction: "If I don't admit it, it means it didn't happen." Processes like these inspired Selma Freiberg to name her classic popular early childhood book The Magic Years.

The person for whom denial is a fundamental defense always insists that "everything is fine and everything is for the best." The parents of one of my patients continued to give birth to one child after another, although already three of their offspring had died from what any other parents, not in a state of denial, would understand as a genetic disorder. They refused to mourn their dead children, ignored the suffering of two healthy sons, rejected advice to seek genetic counseling, and insisted that what was happening to them was the will of God, who knows their welfare better than they themselves. Experiences of elation and all-consuming joy, especially when they occur in situations in which most people would find negative aspects, also speak of the effect of denial.

Most of us resort to denial to some degree, with the worthy goal of making life less unpleasant, and many people have their own particular areas where this defense prevails over others. Most people whose feelings are hurt, in a situation where crying is inappropriate or unreasonable, are more willing to give up their feelings than, fully aware of them, suppress tears with a conscious effort. In extreme circumstances, the ability to deny the danger to life at the level of emotions can be life-saving. Through denial, we can realistically take the most effective and even heroic actions. Every war leaves us with stories of people who "haven't lost their heads" in terrible, deadly circumstances and saved themselves and their comrades as a result.

Worse, denial can lead to the opposite outcome. A friend of mine refuses to have annual gynecological tests, as if by ignoring the possibility of uterine and cervical cancer, she can magically avoid these diseases. A wife who denies that a beating husband is dangerous; an alcoholic who insists that he has no problems with alcohol; mother ignoring evidence of sexual harassment to her daughter; an elderly person who does not consider giving up driving, despite a clear decline in the ability to do so, are all familiar examples of denial at its worst.

This psychoanalytic concept is more or less undistorted in everyday language, in part because the word "denial", like "isolation", has not become jargon. Another reason for the popularity of this concept is its special role in the 12 Step Program (drug addiction treatment) and other activities aimed at helping their participants to become aware of their habitual use of this protection and to help them get out of the hell they created for myself.

The denial component can be found in most more mature defenses. Take, for example, the comforting belief that the person who rejected you actually wanted to be with you, but was simply not yet ready to give himself completely and formalize your relationship. In this case, we see the denial of rejection, as well as a more sophisticated method of finding justification, which is called rationalization. Similarly, defense by reactive formation, when an emotion is turned into its opposite (hate - love), is a specific and more complex kind of denial of feeling, from which one must protect oneself than simply refusing to experience this feeling.

The most obvious example of denial-driven psychopathology is mania. While in a manic state, people may be in incredible denial of their physical needs, the need for sleep, financial difficulties, personal weaknesses, and even their own mortality. While depression makes it completely impossible to ignore the painful facts of life, mania renders them psychologically irrelevant. People for whom denial is their primary defense are manic in nature. Analytically oriented clinicians classify them as hypomanic. (The prefix "hypo", meaning "few" or "few", indicates a difference between these people and individuals experiencing real manic episodes.)

This category has also been characterized by the word "cyclothymia" ("alternating emotions"), since it tends to alternate between manic and depressive moods, usually not reaching the severity of clinically diagnosed bipolar disease. Analysts view these fluctuations as the result of periodic uses of denial, each time followed by an inevitable “crash” as the person becomes exhausted due to the manic state.

The presence of unmodified denial in an adult, like other primitive defenses, is cause for concern. However, slightly hypomanic people can be charming. Many comedians and entertainers display wit, energy, a flair for wordplay, and an infectious high spirits. It is these signs that characterize people who for a long time successfully remove and transform painful experiences. But relatives and friends often notice the other side of their character - heavy and depressive, and it is often not difficult to see the psychological cost of their manic charm.

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Lectures on chemical dependence. Lecture 15. Psychological defenses (denial of the disease and its treatment).The beginning of the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction and psychological protection. Types of psychological defenses. Ways to overcome psychological defenses. Typical thoughts in denial of the disease and treatment of chemical dependence.

1. Initiation of alcoholism and drug addiction treatment and psychological protection

Chemical addiction treatment begins with the recognition of:

• the problems that drinking brings to life;
• the impossibility of both controlled use and abstinence from it;
• the presence of biological, psychological and social reasons that do not allow to refrain from drinking and live a full sober life;
• the need for long-term independent efforts and outside help in eliminating these causes (the need for a long process of recovery - the restoration of one's biological, psychological and social healthy state).

Each of these confessions is "unpleasant" for consciousness - it is necessary to recognize that the use has brought a huge amount of losses to life; that it seemed that the only friend of PAS (alcohol, drugs) turned out to be an enemy whose behavior is not controlled; admit that, it turns out, there are problems not only and not so much with the use, but with one's own personality, character, values, friends, relatives, etc.; to admit that the correction will not come in an instant; this requires long-term, many years of work on oneself and one's social status. Without this recognition, even the beginning of recovery is impossible, but the recognition of all these things can bring great mental pain. And in this case, the psychological mechanism of protection against mental pain begins to work - psychological protection.

Psychological defenses are an unconscious mechanism for protecting Consciousness from experiences that are dangerous for it. It consists in the distortion of information that can bring unpleasant experiences.

Psychological defenses have a positive side - they protect the human mind from unnecessary or those that it is not able to endure experiences. However, in the case of chemical addiction, this has the opposite effect - psychological defenses, protecting consciousness from the experiences associated with the recognition of the disease, thereby prevent a person from recognizing this disease and starting to recover from it. And as a result, such a person will continue to use. Therefore, working with psychological defenses (or, as they are also called, denial of the disease) is an important condition for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction.

2. Types of protection.

Psychological defenses can protect the Consciousness from painful information in two ways: by distorting the rational part of the information, and by distorting the emotional component of the information. Rational component is objective knowledge about the world (an honest view of the world). Emotional component- this is the value (bad, good, etc.) and the importance (how bad or good) of the incoming information in accordance with the life values ​​\u200b\u200bof a person. Here are the main types of psychological defenses:

Denial, repression, minimization . At denial protection completely does not let painful information pass to the Consciousness. The chemically addict is completely unable to comprehend the facts about his disease. And when the addict at the same time says “No, I have no problems!”, Then he says it quite honestly - the consciousness simply “does not see” these problems. When part of the information nevertheless "passes" through the protection of denial, the following protection mechanism can operate - crowding out. The received and conscious information is withdrawn from consciousness, and the addict forgets about his problems with the use. Also, with the help of the mechanisms of denial and repression, only part of the painful information can be passed to consciousness - in this case, they talk about minimization(downplaying your problems). "I do not have problems!". “I don’t remember my problems…” “I don’t have such big problems”

Control . In contrast to the mechanisms of denial and repression, in the case of control, information about problems enters the Consciousness in an undistorted form, but false information about the strengths and abilities of a person is added to it - there is confidence that a person is able to cope with his problems. With the action of this defense mechanism, the addict, once again taking to the use, is sure that this time he has everything under control (while remembering perfectly hundreds of previous cases when he could not cope with the use). "I have everything under control!" “I can use, I can not use!” "If I want, I'll quit myself!"

Projection . With the projection mechanism, problems in life are recognized, but at the same time they are assigned to circumstances, other people, the actions of higher powers, etc., but not to the real source of all problems in one's life - the person himself. Dependent under the action of this defense mechanism finds so many reasons and reasons for his use (working corporate party, bitch wife, bad weather, sore head, etc. etc.), which remains incomprehensible how in this cruel world not everyone has drunk themselves and not chipped. Moreover, under the action of this mechanism, responsibility for one's life is completely removed and placed on the world around. Another way to avoid liability is comparison. This compares my use with the use of other people (of course, only with those who use more heavily) and concludes that it is they who need to solve problems, not me. “The problems are not in me, but in others!” “So there were circumstances, I could not help but use!” “They need to throw it, not me!”

fantasizing . This protection leads Consciousness away from objective reality into the world of fantasy and illusion. A person lives in his own fictional world, where most of the problems do not exist. Constant dialogues in my head, daydreams, endless replays different situation, grandiose unrealistic plans - these are the signs of the action of this protection. The most elementary example is when a person, instead of solving problems “here and now”, dreams of their solution “tomorrow”. "I'll quit tomorrow!" “Everything will be decided someday by itself!” “That's when I (fantasy - I will, earn money, change my position, etc.), then I will solve problems!”

Intellectualization . Defenses let the rational component of knowledge about problems into consciousness, but at the same time reduces (or completely blocks) the emotional component. So an alcoholic can calmly talk about his problems (concerning a fatal illness and huge losses in life), so calmly, as if all this does not apply to him, but to a fictional hero of a literary novel. Subspecies of this defense can manifest itself in fruitless reasoning, raising unnecessary questions - reasoning, moralizing(search for a moral justification or condemnation of their actions - “How low I fell”, instead of looking for a solution), rationalization(search for rational explanations of the reasons and justifications for their drinking). “I have a chemical addiction – so what?” " Yes, I am an alcoholic, and from the point of view of banal erudition, the integrative tendencies of the realization of causality cannot resist the current moment.» “I am a complete drug addict and there is no forgiveness for me!” “Everyone drinks, and I drink!”

Idealization-Devaluation . This mechanism consists in the exaltation, idealization of people, events, principles, etc. Or vice versa, in the devaluation of everything that contradicts its ideal. In the example of surfactants, there is an exaggerated "chanting" of everything useful and good that is only associated with it. “Alcohol improves mood, cures diseases, makes a person better, etc.” “He who does not smoke and does not drink will die healthy!”

substitution . This is a class of various psychological defenses, which are united by one thing - a shift in the focus of the problem. So, for example, instead of being angry at one person, you can be angry at another, less significant one. Or instead of solving some, more important problems, deal with other, less important ones. Over and over again, a chemically addict solves a bunch of various problems in life (search for a job lost due to drunkenness, restoration of relationships in the family destroyed by drug use, etc.), postponing the decision main problem and common cause all other problems are problems of chemical dependence. Or emotions are replaced by opposite ones (so a person, having learned that he is ill with a chemical addiction, may begin to experience inadequate euphoria). “Yes, I have problems with addiction, but first I need to (get a job, restore family relationships, improve my health, etc.), and I will definitely deal with addiction later!” “I have a chemical addiction?! “What great news!!!”

3. Ways to overcome psychological defenses

Defenses distort the rational and emotional components of information and, therefore, work to overcome psychological defenses should be carried out with these two parts.

rational part.

Since the work of psychological defense here is to distort objective data (or to add other false data), it can be helped to overcome this defense. objective (honest) analysis. It can be done using the following table:

It also helps to overcome rational psychological defenses. Feedback from other convalescents, relatives, loved ones, friends, people who know well, etc.

emotional part.

The main way to overcome psychological defenses that distort the emotional part of information is to increase the ability of Consciousness to accept (situations, other people, oneself, the world, etc.). You can do this by asking yourself what would be terrible if it turned out to be true?". It also helps in accepting the problem. communication with people having a similar problem (other convalescents).

An excess of psychological defenses (both rational and emotional) is a consequence of personal immaturity. Therefore, in the process of personal maturation (recovery), psychological defenses themselves will decrease. It turns out that by making efforts to recover, a person gets rid of psychological defenses, and it becomes easier for him to recover. And vice versa, without making efforts to recover, a personal regression occurs, psychological defenses are strengthened, a person begins to deny his illness again and returns to use.

4. Typical phrases(thoughts) by which one can recognize the denial of illness and recovery.

I have not yet had such a severe case as others. It is not dangerous for me to visit places where they use and (I do not develop cravings there). Non-alcoholic drinks won't hurt anything. Others have problems, not me. I have only psychological dependence, physiological yet. I do not need to write these diaries, because others recover without them. Tomorrow I will definitely start to recover. Since I do not use, I should not have emotional outbursts. If I use only once, it won't hurt me. I can date my using friends and not use. I already know enough (done, recovered) in order not to break loose. If I try, I can control. Everyone should help me in my recovery. I have more important things to do than get well. My family is more important than my sobriety. I don't have time to get well. I can just not use. Recovery is too hard. Or maybe I'm still not addicted, but just had a difficult period in my life? In order not to drink, it is enough just not to take the first glass (not to use the first dose). Now I have a gray, dull, gloomy sober life ahead of me. PAS (alcohol, drugs) helps to cope with emotional problems. PAV helps to relax.

5. Task for independent work:

1. Remember how you denied your illness before recovery?
2. How do you deny (downplay) the need for recovery now?
3. Reread the characteristic phrases of denial of illness and recovery. Choose the most suitable for you and analyze them.