Resentment in Relationships: The Endless Cost

By |2022-06-28T13:24:40+00:00June 28th, 2022|Anger Issues, Featured, Individual Counseling, Relationship Issues|

Resenting somebody is not as simple as disliking them or finding them annoying; rather, it's a feeling that is related to the repetition of painful patterns relating to unaddressed difficulties. Yep, I know that may sound hideously complex, but it's a relatively simple concept once you unpack it. And you should take the time to unpack it – because the truth is that resenting your partner (even if you don't realize that you're doing it) is not great for your love life. But there is a bright side: Your relationship is not doomed if you realize that you've been feeling resentful; you can notice and resolve your resentment. Make a list of all your resentments and communicate them to your partner. Also, come to the conversation with what solutions would look like. You must explore resentment because it impacts every area of your relationship and does not allow both of you to thrive. They must be revealed and discussed constructively with action steps. This show comes with many of the tools to do this. So what is to be done if you’ve been in a relationship for some time, and hurts have built up and led to resentment and unresolved anger and pain? Is there hope for empathy to regain a foothold in your relationship, so that true intimacy can begin flourishing once again? What is the way forward when it feels like there is too much toxic water under the bridge, too much wreckage, to find your way back to a loving relationship? When the past is a minefield, can the present become peaceful? If there’s hope for empathy to re-emerge in your relationship, even when resentment abounds, the answer is: probably. But if you asked me whether there are ways to try and rebuild the empathic bond in your relationship, I would answer with a [...]