Continuing to hold onto these feelings, however, can have negative consequences for your physical and mental health.

Others act out because of their resentment.

Causes of Resentment

A variety of things can cause this complex emotion.

Sad girlfriend sitting on bed edge, holding her legs, her partner is lying in bed in background, his face is lit by smart phone

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Its often defined as a feeling of indignation.

Unfortunately, resentment can unleash other destructive thoughts and emotions.

Resentment can ultimately poison relationships if left unchecked.

Resentment in an intimate romantic relationship might flourish when one person always initiates sex and the other never does.

The caregiver might grow resentful as their own needs go unmet and that can create tension in the relationship.

Scientific researchexplored the effect of tension on the well-being of marriages across the marriages first 16 years.

Investigators defined tension as feelings of irritation, resentment and disappointment about the relationship.

Signs of Resentment

Its tricky to recognize signs of resentment.

Thats because its a multi-layered emotion that may combine myriad feelings at the same time.

Overall, a resentful person feels like theyve been wronged.

Although it might seem counterintuitive, the person who feels resentful has some advantages.

Here are some not-so-obvious ways it might actually feel better to harbor feelings of resentment than address them.

It’s not a productive way to handle conflict and move forward within a relationship.

Why Is Resentment Toxic in a Relationship?

Persistent resentment in a relationship will naturally create a wedge between you and the other person.

That can lead to feelings of isolation, withdrawal, and disconnection.

It might even spell the end of the relationship completely.

Youll then have no way to vent, to gain an opportunity for perspective or to heal.

To ultimately resolve these negative feelings, you oughta take the first step and admit that theres a problem.

There are multiple approaches to dealing with your anger.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)is the go-to treatment for anger management.

As anger is such a debilitating psychological problem, researchers reviewed existing meta-analyses about the psychosocial interventions for anger.

you might overcome resentment and repair frayed relationships.