Just about anytime we approach the subject of alcoholics' and addicts' denial regarding their substance abuse, they become defensive. There are many reasons for that. One of those is because they mistakenly associate the word denial with the word lying. This is unfortunate, because denial and lying are two very different things.
People know when they're lying.
They may not be able to control their lying, but they are aware of it. It's not that denial is invisible. Denial is so common among individuals who have become addicted to alcohol and other drugs that addiction has been referred to as the disease of denial. Indeed, people in recovery from substance abuse are typically surprised at the depth of their denial as it unfolds before them during the recovery process. Denial can be the fatal aspect of addiction.