We Cannot Force a Person Out of Denial
Sometimes in recovery we may directly or indirectly hit on an area where another recovering person, or even a friend, is in denial about slipping back into old addictive patterns of behavior. This person may react angrily or push us away through silence because we have hit on a wounded part of them that they are not yet ready to acknowledge, much less face. And they have fallen back into an old pattern of emotionally-medicating it away that they don't want challenged. if we experience anger or resentment from them, it's important for us to not take it personally. When the air is charged with unhealed emotions, it's best for us to back off, allow that person to return to a place of peace and to give them space and time to clearly process what we said to them. This is how that person is often able to break through their denial. It's very typical for a person to emotionally react negatively to what we say when we have hit on an area where they are trapped i...