Denial in substance use disorders (SUDs), including alcohol use disorders (AUDs), might be broadly paraphrased as a group of processes where substance-related problems that are obvious to others are not recognized or appropriately acted upon by the individual with the problems (Buddy, 2019; Edwards, 2000; Pickard, 2016; Sher and Epler, 2004; Wooley et al., 2012). These concepts are complex and likely to develop in response to widely held societal beliefs as well as mechanisms reflecting an individual’s traits regarding how they handle problems and their specific beliefs and behaviors. The denial or minimization of substance related problems interferes with decisions to seek help, impedes behavior changes, and contributes to relapses into problematic behaviors (Ferrari et al., 2008; Wing, 1996; Sher and Epler, 2004).
