Why Resistance Turns Pain Into More Pain

Life is a journey fraught with pain, yet many of us are ill-prepared to confront it head-on. A typical reaction is resistance. We feign normalcy, pretending all is okay while drowning in despair. This resistance amplifies the pain–it makes the pain feel bigger, stronger, and less in our control. All the while, narratives about ourselves and the world also grow, trapping in emotions like anger, shame, and unhappiness. What is the antidote to this?