Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 / Unsplash

Navigating the Emotional Tightrope When You’ve Hurt Someone

Navigate emotional complexities with self-compassion and clear communication, turning hurt into healing and deeper connections.

Odin Halvorson
5 min readAug 23, 2024

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We’ve all been there — those moments when you realize you’ve hurt someone you care about. It’s like being unable to breathe, right? Suddenly, you’re caught in this whirlwind of emotions, trying to figure out how to fix things without making them worse. Trust me, you’re not alone in feeling this way.

First things first, let’s talk about that emotional rollercoaster you’re on. When you hurt someone, it’s not just their pain you’re dealing with — there’s your own guilt, shame, or regret mixed in too. It’s like you’re holding a hot plate, desperately trying not to drop it and let it crack on the floor, but burning yourself in the process.

Take a moment and ask yourself: Have you ever found yourself so wrapped up in your own guilt that you couldn’t fully focus on the other person’s feelings? This is a natural response, but it’s crucial to recognize that both your emotions and theirs need attention.

Here’s where things get tricky. Before you can truly help the other person, you need to take care of yourself. I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive, but think about…

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Odin Halvorson

A futurist/socialist/fantasist writer, editor, and scholar. MFA/MLIS. Free access to my articles at OdinHalvorson.substack.com | More over at OdinHalvorson.com.