It is easy to hold a grudge because, let’s face it, resentment can feel pretty darn good sometimes. We get to sit and stew in our own frustrations and negative feelings about something rather than do something about it. When we seek to stop holding a grudge, it takes time to finally realize the damage it can do to ourselves and others and find a better way forward.
Don’t Give Into Grudgery
The problem with grudges is they do not serve a good purpose. They don’t make us feel better, heal our hurts, or impact us for the better. End of the day, the toxicity can be all-consuming over our life. In recovery, this can have a negative impact on us in many ways. It can lead to stinking thinking, cause difficulty in developing emotional sobriety, and result in bitterness about life. At worst, it may lead to a relapse if not dealt with appropriately.
Letting Go
The path to freedom from grudgery to forgiveness is paved with many smaller decisions on the journey of learning to love and honor yourself. To let go of a grudge is to move away from feeling we were wronged and focusing attention, instead, on finding the soothing kindness and compassion a grudge itself desires. If we take responsibility for caring about suffering, our recovery efforts can be strengthened by releasing anger.
Long Way Forward
Practicing forgiveness can be a difficult endeavor when people are used to sitting in the funk of bitterness and resentment. Even if forgiveness does not repair a relationship, it may be an opportunity to recognize the healing wisdom and personal growth that comes from expending energy to a positive end. We cannot control other people’s actions. What we can control is how we respond to it.
By choosing to live in the present, free from resentment, people can be freed of the chains of the past and finally move forward in recovery.
The Springboard Center’s addiction treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of each client. By utilizing a set of diverse methods of addiction treatment, we are able to deal with your addiction from all angles and concentrate on every aspect of your healing process. It is important to recognize that many of our services offer a group setting and environment, so that the client spends time with other people affected by the same chronic disease and problems. 432-620-0255