Mental Process
denial
de·ni·al [ dih-nahy-uhl ]
Subclass of:
Defense Mechanisms
Definitions related to denial (psychology):
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(denial) A defense mechanism characterized by the inability to recognize or admit that addiction is the cause of problems, rather than a solution or mere byproduct. Denial can also refer to the refusal to accept an upsetting reality, such as a serious illness or death or the feelings that follow either.Harvard Dictionary of Health TermsHarvard Medical Publishing, 2011
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(denial) Defense mechanism in which the existence of unpleasant realities is disavowed; refers to keeping out of conscious awareness of any aspects of external reality that, if acknowledged would produce anxiety.Sadock's Comprehensive Glossary of Psychiatry and PsychologyBJ Sadock Titles Press, 2012
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(denial) In psychiatry, a state in which a person is unable or unwilling to see the truth or reality about an issue or situation.NCI Dictionary of Cancer TermsU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(psychological denial) A psychological defense mechanism that allows a person to avoid the reality of the situation by refusing to acknowledge it.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(denial, psychological) Refusal to admit the truth or reality of a situation or experience.NLM Medical Subject HeadingsU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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