What Do People Hide from Themselves?
Let’s take a look at the life of an “average Joe.” He gets up; he goes to work; he gets things done for his family. He feels healthy and good about life. But then one day perhaps he has a problem with his boss or with his spouse or maybe even with a close family member. And what if our guy does not have the skills to handle his situation or the thing that is causing these problems? Then, it can happen that the problems persist and may even cause him to become ill. One evening Joe goes out with guys from the office and someone offers him a little pill, with a pat on the back and a “Here, this will help you feel better.” Joe takes it—and then a new story begins. Well, the next morning he feels really depressed and he thinks to himself, “Maybe I can get another little pill from my friend.” He gets the pill and feels much better; the world looks like it might have fewer problems. What our guy doesn’t know is that his friend just gave him speed that he got from his doctor. And if this person sounds like you, you may have just started down a path that leads to being something you would never have expected—an addict.
Now, you may say to yourself, “Yes, I’ve lived that story, but that’s not me. Addicts are people who lie in alleys and have no money.” But what if it goes further? Let’s say that once you’ve found something to help you feel better, you decide it’s time for you to go to see the doctor yourself. You take an afternoon off and tell your boss that you have a family emergency. You tell your spouse that you went on a field trip for the office. The lying begins, but you tell yourself that you have to do this or else you will be terribly unhappy again. For three months you take the pills every day so you can deal with your problems—you already need more than just one pill each day. On the weekends, you tell yourself that you will not take the pill because you are tired. So you stay in although the kids want you to go out and play or shop at the mall—but you are so tired you can’t get moving. You are not eating right and not sleeping well. One morning you get up and tell yourself that it is not the drug you are taking but perhaps a serious health problem and that you need to go to the doctor to run some tests. So you do; he gives you yet another pill—this one an anti -depressant. It helps you have an even-keeled feeling, so you’re grateful for this pill. After all, the blood test you did came out fine. You didn’t happen to tell this doctor that you had another prescription from another doctor, but what does it matter? By now you are taking money from your family’s savings so that you can get all the different pills that you think you deserve because—hey, you work so hard, and no way does the spouse need to know about this. How many lies are you telling yourself at this point? Let’s summarize.
- Only homeless people are addicts, so I can’t be one.
- It is okay to hide other prescriptions from my doctor—he really doesn’t care anyway.
- My family doesn’t need to know that I need these pills more and more each day.
- It’s only fair that I don’t have to spend time with my family on the weekends—they have to understand that I’m so tired because I work so hard for them every day.
These are all symptoms of denial. It doesn’t matter what you are taking. When the uncontrollable craving to use grows more important than anything else, including family, friends, career, and even your own health and happiness you need to come to terms with the truth. What you are denying are symptoms of addiction.
If you or someone you love has a drug problem, our rehab in Louisiana can help. Call Narconon Riverbend now for immediate assistance.
We are one of the best long-term drug rehab programs in the U.S. Call to find out why.