10 Justifications Addicts Use to Keep Using

As addicts we can justify just about anything. Some of us are such good con-artists in active addiction that we can sell just about any excuse or idea to anyone to get what we want. So it should be no surprise that we find a thousand seemingly convincing reasons to continue using drugs and alcohol, even when it was obvious to ourselves or others that we were putting ourselves at risk or sabotaging our lives. When we’re trying to fit every aspect of our lives into an alibi or we are turning every reason to stop into a justification to keep on our path of self-destruction, we are feeding our skills as masters of manipulation. Little do we know, these justifications are killing us. These are 10 Justifications addict use to keep using that should at least be given a second thought.

Negatives

1.       Physical Pain

A lot of times addicts will cry out about the pains we have from illness or injury, and rationalize our drug use as a means to combat the pain and make our lives more comfortable. Sometimes there is real pain, but regardless we still have the potential to abuse that justification.

2.       Relationship Problems

When addicts are stressed out with relationships, whether they be family, friends, or intimate relationships we turn the small problems into vast and dramatized sad stories that we tell ourselves and/or others to show that we use to ease the pain or the strain caused by others, or by the situations.

3.       Death of Loved Ones

Death is never easy, and coping with a loss is especially difficult for addicts. I know personally I used this excuse a lot. When an addict is able to isolate or spot-light themselves based off of the death of a loved one it’s pretty common that those around them will back off from inquiring about their drug use.  My biggest justification was always the ‘no one knows what I’m going through’ mentality, and nobody ever questioned it.

4.       Behavioral Disorders

Some people with addiction also have behavioral or mental health disorders that coexist with their drug habits, or they are misdiagnosed because of the affect the drugs have on them and their behavior or mod. Based off this kind of justification an addict may say they need to use to keep on an even keel. They may say it is because of a hundred forms of trauma, depression, anxiety or other mental health issues that they need a substance to function properly.

5.       It’s Monday

Sometimes an addict just wakes up from a weekend and remembers that life is real, and that it’s going to take a lot of work to get enough to survive through the week comfortably until the next pay check or the next party, and sometimes there is just not enough coffee in the world.

Positives

6.       Celebrations

The reasons we use are not always negative ones, sometimes they are the exact opposite and we use when we are excited or happy. If an addict gets promoted at work for working hard (‘functional’ addicts some would say… drugs are not free) they may want to reward themselves, for a month. And when an addict rewards themselves, they often do it in a way that punishes their mind, body, and spirit to stay on a fix.

7.       Vacations

Sometimes an addict just wants to take a vacation. They have earned a little time off and they have no direct responsibilities to take care of now, so they figure they deserve to go ahead and get high while off the job and maybe out on the town. I have seen this numerous times. People will go on very dangerous binges when they have a few consecutive days off, and justify it with not being responsible for the next few days, but they never truly stop using.

8.       Boredom

Life is an amazing and exciting place, with so much to learn and experience we really never have a right to be bored about anything at all. However addicts tend not to appreciate that, so when we are ‘bored’ or in reality ‘lazy’ we decide to use that as an excuse to use. Like, ‘if there was something else to do I’d do it’ but in reality is there is always something to be done.

9.       Sobriety

Once in a while, an addict who has been in recovery and remained clean and sober for a period of time will decide that they have been clean long enough to use again. This is almost the worst type of justification, because it is someone who has removed themselves from the physical and emotional dependence but chosen to re-enter it. Like a man who clings to life and survives pneumonia only to go skinny dipping in the winter a few months later. Somehow this individual convinces themselves that they are cured of addiction, and that drugs will never hurt them again.

10. It’s Friday

Here comes the weekend! So of course we have to enjoy it and use drugs, or at least that is the addict mentality that tends to cause us serious problems. Friday is usually payday too, so what other reason do you need? In all honesty, if the day ends in a ‘Y’ then we will justify getting high. The truth is, we are the only ones who really buy the lie we tell half the time.

Addicts and alcoholics are really good and have a lot of practice in creating pretty convincing stories to why we use, but at the end of the day it all comes down to the fact that we do what we feel will make us feel what we need at the time even if it kills us, and in this case it eventually will. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588