How To Deal With Resentment

How to cope with resentment and other negative emotions. Mental health is very important for everyone, especially recovering addicts.

For a recovering addict, indeed for anyone, resentment is a mental poison that creates much negativity. Fear of the future, a sense of having been wronged in the past, a desire to see ourselves come out better next time; these self seeking parasites which cloud our thinking are paradoxically borne out of, or perhaps in line with, a desperate, poor lack of self worth.

To live a life full of resentment, fear, anger, worry and despair is to not live at all; it means to suffer. We must be free of these negative states of mind, to 'wake up' from our mental slumber and consider each and every thought for what it really is. After all a thought is just a thought.

We should change our thinking and try to look at our part in life; not to mention in other peoples lives. Have we caused them any harm or injustice. They may have done things to us but what have we done to them? Life can seem unfair and cruel too but it's like the glass filled halfway with liquid. Is it half full or half empty?

A different mental approach to life is needed if we are to stop being so resentful, jealous, bitter and judging people. Whether the other person, place or thing is at fault should not concern us. If they are we should forgive them but it is wise to remember that where we are at fault we would want them to forgive us too, so we should make sure our personal, private and public affairs are in order.

That seething anger which lies as the under current pf any addicts personality must be mastered. We are emotional, sentient beings. We feel emotions such as anger. To hold on to negative emotions though is unhealthy and all consuming. If we can be master our emotions, to the degree where we are free from being angry, irritable, restless and discontent we will become better people. We are not our emotions; our emotions are not us. To be in control of our emotional state should not mean suppression of any emotion either. It should simply be that we are aware of our emotions without getting too involved in them. It is OK to be angry, just as it is OK to feel loved. To indulge and seek comfort in positive emotions, as well as the negative ones, can be just as damaging.