25 people share 'hard to swallow' truths that no one wants to hear

Hardly anyone would say "no" when asked if they want to hear the truth. Although it might seem like the obvious choice, some truths are such that they leave a sour taste in our mouths and make life harder than it already is. Living in denial of such things might be easier than accepting the reality and confronting the fact that we need to reassess our lives and that's what most of us generally choose until forced to do otherwise. "Although denial is considered to be a defense often used by people with addictive tendencies, its attributions reach beyond those struggling with substances," clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst Mary Lamia explained to Bored Panda.

"Denial is also attributed to people who do not want to acknowledge that bad stuff is occurring in their lives, such as those who are attempting to cope with a tumultuous relationship, a life-threatening illness, obesity, a loss, or anything else that one may attempt to disavow," Lamia added. "What’s important is not that people recognize their denial, but that they are able to accept what they are feeling that leads to the denial in the first place. If someone excessively and habitually uses alcohol to medicate their anxiety, for example, we might emphasize their attempts to dismiss the harm that their use of alcohol will cause, rather than focus on the emotions they feel that motivate their denial."

"If that person stops drinking, one would hope the emotions that were formerly hidden by denial, which often have to do with shame, would be exposed and accepted by the individual," Lamia continued. "Sometimes feeling positive may be just as threatening as negative feelings. We may want to deny the reality of our emotions because accepting a reality that is uncomfortable, painful, or incongruous to what we expect means we must also alter our perception of ourselves. Thus, if you are in denial, perhaps you are simply trying to ignore the truth about what you actually feel, rather than about what you are doing or thinking."

Here are 25 'hard to swallow' facts that some of us need to confront:

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