You have gone through - you have been going through

Question

Is there a difference in meaning between the following two sentences?

1. I can't even imagine what you have gone through.

2. I can't even imagine what you have been going through.

Answer 1

There is a subtle difference in the implications of these statements.

I can't even imagine what you have gone through.

This statement implies that the person has suffered a lot in their recent past and somewhat their sufferings have subsided by now.

I can't even imagine what you have been going through.

This statement implies that the person is still in a state of suffering. Their sufferings are not fully over by now.

Answer 2

user3382203 is giving far too much benefit to a doubt that doesn't really exist, so stick with @Sven Yargs explanation.

On the simplest level, you might say "I can't even imagine what you have gone through" to someone who has just returned from a trip to hell, but you might say "I can't even imagine what you have been going through" to someone who is till there

1. I can't even imagine what you have gone through
   necessarily implies that 'what you have gone through' ended in the past.

2. I can't even imagine what you have been going through
   necessarily implies that 'what you have been going through' has not yet ended.

Answer 3

The present perfect (simple), in sentence 1, is often (not always!) used to express a recently completed action whose effect is still felt in the present.

The present perfect continuous, in sentence 2, is normally used in situations where the action (e.g. go through) began sometime in the past but continues to the present.

Thus the person in the first example, “... you have gone through”, is likely to be still reeling from the after-effects of a traumatic situation, episode or period in their life. Without further context, we cannot know for certain if that negative experience is over, but it seems very likely.

In the second example, “... you have been going through”, the person is in the full throes of a traumatic episode or period in their life. That negative experience is not over.