Feelings of disappointment, betrayal, or injustice, or the failure of expectations to be met can lead to bitterness. This directly affects all areas of the individual's life and has a negative impact on their interpersonal relationships. These types of people often try and make others feel guilty.
Bitter individuals often operate from a blaming and non-empathic perspective. In their personal and professional relationships, bitter men and women often blame others when things go wrong or when things do not work out as they wanted or expected.
If you can, allow them time to communicate their feelings without judging them. Often when someone feels that they are being listened to, they are more able to hear other people's points of view as well. And sometimes just being given permission to communicate angry feelings can be enough to help someone calm down.
Someone who is bitter is angry and unhappy because they cannot forget bad things that happened in the past: I feel very bitter about my childhood and all that I went through.
Bitter individuals often use a power dynamic to satisfy their ego as well as make themselves feel superior by preying upon the emotionally weak who are not at the same level as them. It's a cloud that prevents you from appreciating all the things you do have.
Wrosch warns that, in this form, staying bitter is a health risk leading to “biological dysregulation” and physical disease. One expert has proposed that bitterness be recognized as a mental illness and categorized as post-traumatic embitterment disorder (PTED).
In Hebrews 12:15, the Holy Spirit speaks of a “root of bitterness” which is often the cause of the greatest difficulty for men. When bitterness is allowed to develop in the heart, the end result is defilement. Bitterness and genuine gratitude to God cannot coexist.
The current available data suggests that bitter compounds are often nontoxic, but the chance for higher toxicity is higher for a bitter compound than for a nonbitter compound.
5 fierce, cruel, ruthless, relentless. 7 acrimonious, caustic, biting, sardonic, scornful.
One theory is that people who are less optimistic are by default more realistic about the direction their life is headed, which could lead them to making better, and more informed choices with their health, as well as participating in more streamlined safety precautions.
There is no one cause of resentment, but most cases involve an underlying sense of being mistreated or wronged by another person. Experiencing frustration and disappointment is a normal part of life. When the feelings become too overwhelming, they can contribute to resentment.
But if it's too strong or lingers for too long, bitterness can keep you from moving forward and healing. And that can make it very hard for you to have fulfilling, healthy relationships, friendships, and experiences. And without those things, life kinda sucks.
Bitterness represents resentment found in unmet expectations of yourself, others, even God. Jealousy snuggles up closely to bitterness, for jealousy is all about "if only." "If only I had what that other person had, then I'd be complete."
Bitter Woman Syndrome (not a real thing in psychology, by the way) is a term to describe a woman who, like Dr. Estes puts it above, has “had it” with life. They are angry, they hold grudges, and they've lost any zeal or passion.
Sweetness is the antidote to bitterness.
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Negative Effects of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness creates an emotional storm of distress in which feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, insecurity, and fear surface. Unforgiveness also creates a hardened heart. The hardened heart feels anger, resentment, bitterness, and hatred toward the offender.
As Linden's research shows, bitterness can lead to long term psychological distress.
Painful events during adulthood--death, divorce, marital difficulties, personal illness or injury, job stress or termination, financial difficulties, among other challenges-–are all experiences that can contribute to feelings of bitterness.
Holding on to bitterness can affect metabolism, immune response or organ function and lead to physical disease, researchers say.