Amber HollingsworthRecovery Conversation Simulator, Amber's Recovery Practice Lab · Interactive learning tool trained on Amber methodoloy

Why People in Recovery Struggle with Empathy

22 Jan 2025 · 1 min

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Amber Hollingsworth (YouTube, uploaded Jan 22, 2025) argues that people in recovery often struggle to feel empathy for those currently struggling with addiction because they unconsciously project their own past behaviors (lies, thefts, sneakiness) and story onto the other person, leading to assumptions rather than compassionate understanding.

Chapters

In my experience, people in recovery, get ready for it, are the least empathetic to people struggling. Let's talk about why that is. I think, for the most part, the biggest reason why that is is because it's hard not to project your story onto the other person. And it's hard not to project all the bad things that you did onto this other person. The lies you told, the sneaks you snuck, the things you stole. And so you're looking at this person in active addiction through your lens and through your story. And a lot of that lead you to make a lot of assumptions about the other person.