Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Why can't I let the past go?

11 Answers
Last Updated: 04/23/2018 at 3:08am
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Jessica McDaniel, LPC, LCPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

I have been practicing cognitive behavioral psychotherapy since 2007 with a diverse group of adult clients with various diagnoses, all races, and socioeconomic classes.

Top Rated Answers
sacchan
December 8th, 2014 10:27pm
Because the past was what had made you to who you are now. It taught you of many things, your preferences, your actions, consequences.. It even shows you of sides of yours you never knew were there before. Your past helps in building bits of you. Without it, you're just not the same. It's up to us to make use of it and move on forward, or let it drag us down. But hey, if you keep on looking back, you could miss the happiness stored for you ahead.
exquisiteCreature
November 24th, 2014 8:48pm
The past is hard to let go of because it makes up who we are. The decisions you made in the past will affect the the decisions you get to make in the future, the past is important.
Anonymous
November 25th, 2014 6:32am
Sometimes trauma hits us a certain way that never let's us forget the bad experience. However, it takes time and one thing we need to learn is never hold onto resentment as this will only cause the past to stay present at all times.
Lightoflife44
November 25th, 2014 9:57pm
Perhaps you still have areas you need to address in order to move on, in order to have closure on the past perhaps try talking to someone about the past in order to address what happened and to find some way in which you can overcome what has happened.
Anonymous
November 29th, 2014 6:25am
The past, for me, was hard to let go of because the past was familiar, even if I viewed it in a negative light. In truth, though, I found that the only point in time that exists is the present. What is occurring in the moment? Am I who I was in the past? No, I am who I am now, in this moment. The idea that the only point in time that exists is the present allowed me to erase my past and move towards the future.
KKGunner
December 1st, 2014 9:11am
Because there's something about it that's holding you back. Remember, whatever returns from oblivion returns to find a voice.
patientDreamer39
December 21st, 2014 4:48am
Letting go of the past can be very difficult. It can linger for a very long time. But one of the reasons may be that you are around people, our things, that reminds you somewhat of your past.
Anonymous
January 4th, 2015 2:29am
You may be not forgetting about the past because it was a very serious event, it may have made you happy, sad, angry, or scared. In some way it effected you, it may take a while to recover from a loss or something tragic but with help you can recover.
Anonymous
June 10th, 2015 10:09am
Because it's valuable. Because it feels the happiest you've been and not holding on to it means letting go of that happiness. Because you're not sure if things are going to be as great as it was in the past. Because you loved the person for so long it hurts to move on. Because you loved the job or the pet or the house or everything for so long it hurts to move on. Because what's uncertain is also scary.
silverCandy73
September 14th, 2015 2:13pm
Maybe you are afraid of the future, of the unknown. In this case you have to completely cut with the past in a strong way, like a haircut, changing the color of your bedroom's wall, stuff like this.. try to change one of your habit and go on with a completely different self-consideration, future is a gift: don't throw it away.
Anonymous
April 23rd, 2018 3:08am
You can't let the past go because of most of you're fun moments occurred in your past and your revisiting your past or wondering why there was bad outcomes.