Bitterness is defined as anger and disappointment at being treated unfairly. Bitterness usually occurs when we feel that someone has taken something away from us and that we have no power to get it back. It means that you’re constantly being hurt by a memory and holding on to the memory in a way that makes it hard to let go of it.

Bitterness is characterized by negative, critical attitudes, and an unforgiving spirit. Anger is the root of bitterness, and it’s one of the most destructive emotions of all.

The most famous Bible verse on bitterness is from Ephesians and says, ”Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice.” Not only does it make us unpleasant to be around, it can be the start of even worse emotions.

Getting rid of bitterness before it turns into something worse is not just good for you, but for everyone around you.

Sometimes we can understand why people are bitter. Sometimes people have been treated unfairly and it’s natural to take some time to get over that. But a lot of people also know someone who never made it out of that time. They are still stuck in their bitterness, and it has affected their personality.

Where Bitterness Comes From

The happiest people are often not the people who’ve had the easiest lives. How you get through the hard times is much more important than how many hard times you see in your life.

Bad things will happen, sometimes even unjust things. It’s in how you deal with those troubles that can mean the difference. Getting rid of bitterness will help you move past the injustice and hard times that you’ve gone through, and help you towards a happier future.

So, what causes bitterness? Bitterness is caused by several things, like hurtful actions that were done to you, hurtful attitudes towards you, and hurtful words people have said to you. Bitterness is when you feel hurt because of what someone else has done that you could not prevent.

Bitterness is very destructive and can be emotionally scarring. It can take control of your live and dominate your thinking. It makes you vulnerable to make poor decisions and think destructive thoughts that not only affect your body, but also your soul.

Bitterness comes in different ways, and sometimes can look like anger, hate, jealousy, frustration, and dissatisfaction. If you don’t deal with it, you can have bodily symptoms like sleeplessness, depression, anxiety, ulcers, headaches, tension, fear, and even heart-attacks.

It will not be easy to get rid of all bitterness and the anger that can come with it, but it is worth giving it a try. After all, your bitterness will stay with you if you don’t deal with it.

If it helps, see your progress as a fight against the bitterness. The harder you try, the bigger your chance of beating it in the end.

There are different ways of dealing with anger and bitterness. Eliminating bitterness up front is one of the easiest way of overcoming all the hate, jealousy, and anger that may come with bitterness. Getting rid of bitterness is also one of the most powerful tools of self-improvement.

Ways to Get Rid of Bitterness

Forgive

In order to eliminate bitterness in your life, you need to learn to forgive.

Forgiveness is surrendering our desire for revenge. Revenge simply means the desire to hurt someone for having hurt us, and forgiveness means letting go of this desire. Forgiveness gives us the opportunity to stop the hurt and start the healing process.

Most of the time it takes a long time for forgiveness to really happen but the beginning is always the same. It starts with a desire to forgive, even if you don’t feel ready to really forgive someone. You can’t get rid of bitterness before you have decided to want to forgive, even if this takes a long time.

Stop Recalling Past Events

When we get hurt, we always have a tendency to relive the past events over and over again. In fact, negative emotions are often a lot stronger, so our brains remember them much better than the memory of positive emotions.

Although it’s recommended that we should share our troubles with others, the temptation to repeat the same thing can cause even more hurt to ourselves.

It is important to talk through your problems, but only when you keep a future goal in mind. In time, it will be easier to forget about the past and focus on the future.

Make a Healing Plan

Bitterness can make you do things you know you’ll regret later. To avoid letting bitterness get a hold of you, it can help to make a plan. Writing down what you really want to happen in your life can help you look into the future and determine what you need to do (and what you should avoid doing) to move towards your healing.

Writing down a plan can also help when you feel overwhelmed later on. You can look back at what you are going towards, and sometimes it can also be helpful to realize how far you’ve come already.

Getting rid of bitterness will take quite some time, and sometimes it’s good to see the small steps forward you’ve already taken.

Seek Professional Help

If you’ve tried all means to get rid of your bitterness, then you should consider seeking professional help. By seeking professional help, you will be able to see the possibilities that your bitterness has blinded you to. You will also be guided through the healing process and learn how to not be bitter and angry.

Getting rid of bitterness doesn’t happen overnight. It isn’t easy, and it’s not something that will go right the first time. A lot of other things are involved, too: forgiveness, happiness, and self improvement. These aren’t easy things, but if you take the first steps towards a happier future, your hard work will make your life better in the end.

Living By Faith – free eBook Faithworks Centre, Prince Edward Island is a church where people from all walks of life come to grow in faith together. It’s not easy to live a life of faith in today’s fast-paced world. That’s why we’ve created a 17-page, 3-part guide to Living By Faith. Learn about how to strengthen your faith, follow Jesus’ command to love and serve others, and understand how love casts out fear. Get your free guide by just entering your email address below!