Letting go of resentment is hard for a lot of people, but most can move past those feelings. However, most addicts who are full of resentment have a harder time leaving these feelings behind. Furthermore, resentment is often one of the catalysts that cause the individual to relapse or not make the most out of their recovery.
What does it mean to feel resentful?
When you feel resentful, you have a persistent feeling of bitterness or negativity towards another person or thing. Additionally, some people who feel this way may turn to drinking or another destructive activity to hide their feelings.
While in rehab, a lot of addicts discover that being addicted to drinking or another substance is not always
their main issue.
Even though the addiction itself appears to be the main physical issue, there is often a deeper problem. And, in some cases, resentment has been found to be the cause of certain destructive behaviors.
Once you discover that these feelings of negativity are the root of the problem, encouraging an addict to move past their resentment will aid in their recovery.
One of the benefits of sending an addict to an alcohol addiction treatment center is that they can learn about their addiction and what they need to do to overcome it. This also includes addressing any other aspects of their life or thinking (such as resentment) that may be causing them to seek out drugs or alcohol.
Giving the addict an opportunity to vent may also provide relief.
If you want to help an addict relieve his or her resentment, give the individual an opportunity to vent and write their feelings on paper. Although this may sound risky, it is a great way for them to “talk” about any repressed feelings or problems so that they can attempt to fix them. In fact, once resentment and other negative feelings and thoughts are put on the table, the road to recovery will be a lot smoother.