A Relationship Between Rehabilitation and Resentment

I’ve tried again and again to overcome feelings of isolation, self-loathing and disconnection from the world around me. I try to form friendships, and be a part of, with limited success and sometimes disastrous results. It took several years of clean time in a 12-step program for me to fully appreciate how much resentment I had accumulated and why I continued my relationship with resentment. I remember the first time I heard the phrase “resentments are like drinking a cup of poison and expecting the other person to die.” I was stunned by the truth of the statement. I started to realize that justified or not, the people, institutions and things that I resented the most never lost a moment of sleep over it. I talked to my support group and examined my behaviors and understood that all my resentments came from expectations. I decided to get to the source of the problem, and let go of my expectations whenever I could. This worked well, and I found that living without expectations, as much as possible, I was able to see many things that happened as gifts, such as a friend who calls after a long absence, finding that lost $10 bill, or a picturesque scene at the local market. Life was good for a time, and I grew rich in experiences. I was able to process and let go of any number of expectations, moving to gratitude quickly. Resentments came and went like the tide, but I never understood what they left behind until everything came crashing to a halt. In 2016, my world abruptly...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Addiction Publishers Recovery The Fix Disconnection Isolation rehabilitation Resentment Self Loathing Source Type: blogs