Why We Lie

It’s probably the worst part of dealing with a life of addiction and the behavior that goes with it.  You’ve lied to the people around you so much that none of them can fully trust what you say anymore.    It takes a long time to earn back trust and live a life of honesty but what makes us lie so much anyway?   Lying has been around as long as humans could talk but the real deal lying that ruins our lives during addiction struggles has other factors to it.  Here are the main ones:

Survival for the Addiction

The addiction itself is like an organism or a spirit in your own head that will do anything to survive.  If you’re really hooked on something, even if most of your mind wants to be rid of it, the part that’s hooked will stop at nothing to protect its ability to access what it needs.  Lying about using is often a way to ensure no one gets in your way or restricts you from your drug.  Admitting that you’re using to a friend or family member means you’ll lose access.

It’s Compulsive

After doing something with great frequency, it can become a habit or a part of your personality.  Lying can become second nature, even establish itself as your primary communication strategy.  Like breaking any habit, learning to stop lying means a fervent dedication to the truth and recognizing when you’re lying for no good reason (compulsively).

To Hide Insecurity

Sometimes it’s just too hard to admit to someone that you’re using again or that you’re struggling with a debilitating addiction.  It doesn’t feel good to be embarrassed or ashamed in front of other people so our natural tendency to protect ourselves from that humiliation and awkwardness is to blow it off and casually lie about your addiction.  This, of course, does more harm than good but it’s a natural tendency.

Denial

At the end of the day, most of the motivations for lying while dealing with addiction is good old fashioned denial.  Most people who have an addiction to some substance or behavior think they have it under control and won’t admit any fault for their habit.  An addict might not even realize he is lying because he has convinced himself of the falsehood.  Delusion is a powerful part of the addict’s mindset and lying is a part of that.