sometimes among younger children H u m a n i t i e s

Discussion B: Denial and Critical Thinking

The initial post should be at least 300 words, and the two classmate replies should be at least 100 words each.

Start by reviewing the power point presentation (see attachment) and the

Video on Denialism. https://mncriticalthinking.com/critical-thinking-v…

Initial Post:

Define denial and identify three of your own examples of denial (they can be from your own life or someone else’s). In 300+ words, explain how denial can appear rational to the person engaged in it.

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Reply Posts:

Respond to at least two of your classmates’ discussions in 100 words or more.

First classmates’ post to respond to (100 words):

Denial is a method for protecting an individual who faces an inconvenient reality; however, compelling evidence. It can also be a defense similar to repression, in which a person denies the reality of something that has happened. Example: Parents who have lost a child may continue to behave for a time as if the child is still alive, by keeping the child’s room exactly as it was and speaking as if the child were still with them. I normally see it among the mentally impaired clients, sometimes among younger children and individuals who have decided to lie. (not telling the truth)

Denial exists in three forms. First is simple denial, whereby an individual denies the truth of the unfortunate fact entirely (Lysgaard, 2019). The second example is minimization denial, composed of a mixture of rationalization and denial. Lastly, is the projection denial that involves an individual admitting all the truth and seriousness of the incidence and still goes on by rejecting the blame. Denial can appear rational to a person engaged in it when it is simple denial. The first stage is when a person denies something or someone as a measure of evading discomfort that comes with reality (Lysgaard, 2019).

References

Lysgaard, J. A. (2019). Denial. In Dark Pedagogy (pp. 23-36). Palgrave Pivot, Cham.

Second classmates’ post to respond to (100 words):

Denial is the behavior of denying something bad that is happening in your life, rejecting the reality of the fact when faced with something painful. It is when someone fails to recognize the negative occurrences by hiding their emotions or avoiding them. Some of the examples I have for denial are:

· I had a previous co-worker that was addicted to drugs and he kept denying that he was using them. Later, I found out that he was using drugs to escape the financial and personal hardships that he was going through. He didn’t want to deal with it, so he felt like it was easier for him to be under the influence of drugs than acknowledge the problem.

· A friend that lost her father and she was in complete denial of that. For months, she kept acting as if he is away and he will be coming anytime soon. She avoided talking about or even grieving. It was easier to deny her emotions than grieving for the loss of her father, as she didn’t want to believe what happened or go through it.

· Another co-worker was going through an abusive relationship for so long that she doesn’t think it is abusive anymore. She kept denying the harmful things that happened to her because she didn’t want to face the facts of the problem.

Denial seems rational to the person engaged in it because it makes you think that it gives you the time you need to get over the situation. It makes you think that it helps in avoiding unwanted feelings such as being vulnerable, stressed or even sick. At the same time, denial is adaptive when it helps us cope with difficult emotions, such as in the initial stages of grief following the loss of a loved one, particularly if the separation or death is sudden. Denial allows our body-mind to cope to the shock more gradually