Understanding denial and its purpose

Refusing to acknowledge that something is wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety. You can be in denial about anything that makes you feel vulnerable or threatens your sense of control, such as an illness, addiction, eating disorder, personal violence, financial problems or relationship conflicts. You can be in denial about something happening to you or to someone else.

When you're in denial, you:

• Won't acknowledge a difficult situation
• Try not to face the facts of a problem
• Downplay possible consequences of the issue