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The Fear of Giving and Receiving Compassion
What Survivors Need to Know
Many survivors of complex trauma have great trouble receiving compassion from others. Somehow it feels wrong and a trap to allow someone else to enter their world and show them love and understanding. Many survivors live isolated lives, not wanting to be alone but afraid to reach out.
This article will explore giving and receiving compassion, the benefits survivors gain, and some exercises you can try to boost your ability to give and receive the compassion you deserve.
What Does Giving Compassion to Others Mean?
Compassion is feeling another’s pain and taking steps to relieve their suffering. The same is true of you; compassion helps you to recognize the hurt you feel and allows you to find ways to relieve it.
Compassion in Latin means “to suffer together,” an apt and to-the-point description of how compassion works. Compassion is related to empathy and sympathy, but there are differences. For example, empathy refers to our general ability to take another person’s perspective and feel their emotions, but compassion is what happens when those feelings are joined by a desire to help.
Below are some signs showing how you can feel compassion for others.
