Addicted to Lists –

June 6, 2020 – “It’s not that bad.”At the first sign of confrontation, an addict will minimize their addiction by claiming it isn’t that bad. They might even mention they were far worse in the past and that there’s less need for concern now than there was before.

“I only use it occasionally.”Instead of flatly denying the abuse of a substance, an addict will admit to far less than what they are doing. The general rule of thumb is that an addict admits to less than half of their actual usage when they do admit to it at all.

“I can’t deal with my problems without it.”The irony of this statement is that the addict begins to look for reasons to use their drug of choice. They might even create unnecessary problems to support it and use those situations to convince you their vice is necessary.

“I can stop whenever I want to.”To keep from thinking they are addicted, an addict will deceive themselves into believing that they can stop at any time. They might even go for a short period of time to prove it, but it is only temporary and can often lead to a dangerous binge.

“I’m not like … he/she is worse.”By comparing themselves to others, the addict can minimize the effects of the addiction while highlighting the severity of another person. This tactic is meant to redirect you, so you are less focused on their usage.

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