In psychology a person who has a martyr complex, sometimes associated with the term "victim complex", desires the feeling of being a martyr for their own sake and seeks out suffering or persecution because it either feeds a physical need or a desire to avoid responsibility.
In some cases, this results from the belief that the martyr has been singled out for persecution because of exceptional ability or integrity.
[1] Other martyr complexes involve willful suffering in the name of love or duty.
[4] Allan Berger, however, described it as one of several patterns of "pain/suffering seeking behavior", including asceticism and penance.
[5] Theologian Paul Johnson considers such beliefs a topic of concern for the mental health of clergy.