Denial: When it helps, when it hurts - Mayo Clinic
From the above link:
Denial: When it helps, when it hurts
Denial is a coping mechanism that gives you time to adjust to distressing situations — but staying in denial can interfere with treatment or your ability to tackle challenges.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
If you're in denial, you're trying to protect yourself by refusing to accept the truth about something that's happening in your life.
In some cases, initial short-term denial can be a good thing, giving you time to adjust to a painful or stressful issue. It might also be a precursor to making some sort of change in your life.
But denial has a dark side. Being in denial for too long can prevent you from dealing with issues that require action, such as a health crisis or a financial situation. Find out when denial can help — and when it can be a roadblock.
Understanding denial and its purpose
Refusing to acknowledge that something is wrong is a way of coping with emotional conflict, stress, painful thoughts, threatening information and anxiety. You can be in denial about anything that makes you feel vulnerable or threatens your sense of control, such as an illness, addiction, financial problems or relationship conflicts. You can be in denial about something happening to you or to someone else.
When you're in denial, you:
Refuse to acknowledge a stressful problem or situation
Avoid facing the facts of the situation
Minimize the consequences of the situation