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Forgiveness and Letting Go
For many survivors, forgiveness is a difficult, if not impossible concept to grasp or to even acknowledge as being part of healing. That may be because forgiving others who have harmed them and robbed them of their childhood and the peace they should feel as adults seem too hard and undesirable.
Perhaps it is time to drag the skeleton from the closet and explain what forgiveness and letting go are because the latter is much more comfortable a concept to swallow and much more appealing.
This article will explore forgiveness and letting go to help survivors understand how their health and wellbeing may very well be tied up in accomplishing either.
The Definition of Forgiveness
According to Greater Good Magazine, UC Berkley, forgiveness has the following definition:
“Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness.”
While these words might make sense and ring true for many people, most survivors have a lot to be resentful and vengeful against those who hurt them. Their lives were altered in a myriad of ways, from failed relationships to physical health problems that all stem…
