5 Reasons Why You Can't Let Go of Resentment, According to Therapists

https://www.verywellmind.com/reasons-why-you-cant-let-go-of-resentment-7567841?hid=62af4114a2eb6a6c94413a67f892f41be9d47089&did=1 [login to see] 0219&utm_source=verywellmind&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=verywell-mind_newsletter&utm_content=021924&lctg=62af4114a2eb6a6c94413a67f892f41be9d47089
Whether a conscious act or unintentional, being hurt by someone else often has a lasting impact on us. It ignites a flurry of emotions—anger, sadness, frustration, confusion, and indignation—floods our minds, and can leave us with a lingering sense of deep injustice. For some, these feelings can swirl and fester in our minds, leading to ongoing resentment toward the situation or the offender.
“With resentment, we often hold ill will toward someone or something that is the cause of the past injustices—real or perceived—and the old feelings of anger connected to them,” explains Rachel Fleischman, LCSW, founder of Bliss Counseling. “This gets sticky. People get very attached to their resentments because they are based in the deep sense of being wronged.”
The problem with resentment is that it’s something we hold within ourselves. In that sense, it often ends up impacting us more than it does the offender.