The difference between an excuse and an explanation

In therapy, I often hear people over-define what an excuse is.

Fo example, somebody might explain where their addiction issue stemmed from and then follow it up with '"but I don’t like making excuses for my drug use”.

Similarly, in discussing how one’s past may have impacted their present, it’s not uncommon for people to acknowledge that they don’t like to “blame” other people for why they ended up the way they are.

This also applies in the context of other people. We might not like what somebody does, but explaining why they do it is different than making an excuse for them.

There are many benefits that come with differentiating between an excuse and an explanation.