From the Guidelines
Holding grudges generally offers no significant psychological benefit and can actually be harmful to one's mental health, as it can lead to increased stress, anxiety, and depression, ultimately affecting morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. Instead of maintaining grudges, it's typically more beneficial to work toward forgiveness or acceptance of past hurts. When we hold grudges, we maintain a state of negative emotion—anger, resentment, and bitterness—which can increase stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline in our bodies. This chronic stress response can lead to physical health problems such as high blood pressure, weakened immune function, and increased risk of heart disease, as noted in a study on positive psychological well-being and cardiovascular disease 1. Psychologically, grudges can lead to depression, anxiety, and reduced life satisfaction as they keep us mentally tethered to painful past experiences. The energy spent maintaining grudges could be better directed toward personal growth and positive relationships.
Some key points to consider:
- Mindfulness-based interventions, such as mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, have been associated with improvements in psychological well-being, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression 1.
- Positive psychological interventions, which aim to promote optimism, gratitude, and positive affect, have also been found to improve indicators of psychological well-being, such as optimism and life satisfaction 1.
- Techniques like mindfulness meditation, therapy, journaling, or practicing empathy can help in the process of releasing grudges and moving toward emotional freedom.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) have been shown to be effective in reducing suicidal ideation and behavior, and may also be beneficial in addressing grudges and related emotional distress 1.
While the provided evidence does not directly address the psychological benefits of maintaining grudges, it suggests that interventions focused on promoting positive psychological well-being, such as mindfulness and positive psychological interventions, can have a positive impact on mental health and overall well-being. Therefore, it is recommended to prioritize forgiveness, acceptance, and emotional release over maintaining grudges, in order to promote better mental health outcomes and improve quality of life.
From the Research
Psychological Benefits of Maintaining Grudges
There is limited research on the psychological benefits of maintaining grudges. However, studies suggest that holding grudges can have negative effects on mental and physical health.
- A study published in 2001 2 found that nursing grudges and rehearsing hurtful memories can lead to increased aversive emotion, higher physiological stress responses, and lower perceived control.
- A study published in 2010 3 found that bearing grudges is associated with a history of pain disorders, cardiovascular disease, and stomach ulcers.
- In contrast, a study published in 2018 4 found that accepting negative emotions and thoughts, rather than judging them, can lead to better psychological health and lower negative emotional responses to stressors.
Alternative Perspectives
Some studies suggest that forgiveness and letting go of grudges can have positive effects on mental and physical health.
- The study published in 2001 2 also found that forgiving thoughts prompted greater perceived control and comparatively lower physiological stress responses.
- However, there is no direct evidence to suggest that maintaining grudges has psychological benefits.
Related Research
Research on related topics, such as the effects of sertraline on mood and anxiety disorders 5, 6, does not provide direct evidence on the psychological benefits of maintaining grudges.