When someone has an addiction, their behavior may change dramatically and they will begin to act in ways they never had before. They might lie, steal, cheat or break the law because they will do anything to be able to continue their addictions. Addicts usually develop a habit of lying to loved ones because they are looking for ways to avoid having to reveal the extent of their problem and be forced to change their ways.
One of the major issues that causes addicts to lie is that they are trying to avoid confrontation with the people around them. They often haven’t developed coping strategies to deal with the stresses of life such as conflict with others. The easiest way out for them is to simply lie so they won’t have to deal with an argument or cope with a problem.
Addicts tend to lie about the extent of how much they are abusing drugs because they don’t want other people to express their concern or try to convince them to quit. They might lie about going to the bar or meeting up with their dealer because they don’t want to have to explain their behavior to others. Their ultimate goal is to continue using drugs and they will say and do what they feel is necessary to keep going.
Another reason that addicts tend to lie is because deep down they feel ashamed about their behavior. Even though their addiction forces them to continue using drugs, they may feel embarrassed for people to know what they are doing. They are afraid of being judged or facing up to their own mistakes so they will lie to others to avoid confronting their own shame.
Going along with an addict’s lies can be a form of enabling so it is important to eventually speak directly to them about getting help through an intervention.