*Family & Friends* Weekly Topic - "Compassion"

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the Forum’s new topic! 

We have heard your feedback, so we will be regularly posting new topics to give you the chance to reflect on your journey so far. We will be including content around topics such as gambling harms research, news articles, reflections from GamCare staff, and more.

This week’s topic is compassion. Compassion literally means “to suffer together” and has been defined as the feeling that arises when you see someone’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Compassion can be directed towards others or ourselves as self-compassion. Self-compassion can be described as a way of relating to ourselves kindly, and embracing ourselves - flaws and all. Self-compassion includes treating ourselves with kindness such as the way we would treat a good friend, with encouragement, patience, understanding, and empathy. Importantly, research indicates that self-compassion can significantly improve our physical and mental wellbeing, and can be an excellent source of resilience and coping with difficulties and challenges.

Dr Kristin Neff is a leading research psychologist in self-compassion.  For more information about self-compassion, and resources including guided practices to help promote self-compassion, please see: https://self-compassion.org/ .You can also watch their TEDx Talk about self-compassion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4 . During the TEDx Talk, Dr Kristin Neff notes how self-compassion relies on us recognising that struggles and imperfections are part of being human, what are your thoughts?

Over to you! 

How has compassion or self-compassion been a part of your story so far?

Do you feel you practice self-compassion or is this something you would like to do more?

We would love to hear your reflections below.

All the best,

Fay

Online Peer Support Team