"Understanding and Managing Patient Denial: A Key to Better Healthcare" - Sachin H. Jain
The opposite of denial is acceptance. Accepting a diagnosis means accepting all the negative sequelae that are associated with a disease or condition. A person with diabetes may live in denial of his or her condition because acceptance means acknowledging the inevitable possibility of kidney dialysis, the amputation of a limb, or even death by heart attack. “Denial is an essential function for survival,” said Diane Meier, MD, vice chair of public policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mount Sinai. She added, “The human mind can only confront and be consciously aware of so much at any given time.”
— Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, Professor, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Medicine, Vice Chair, Public Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care at Mount Sinai