Guilt is not an emotion even though it can make you feel like the worst person on Earth. Quite often it has to do with erroneous thinking involving regret about something that you either did, or did not do. The way out of this is to think about whether or not you are truly responsible for some wrongdoing. If you are, make amends. If you aren’t, then you need to stop beating up on yourself. For example, I blamed myself for the abuse I endured, believing that I had somehow asked for it, or that I could have done something to stop it. This ended when I began to see myself as the child one day when I was observing children. This led to the realization that I would never blame children for the actions of depraved adults. Another common example involves the way some people blame the death of their loved ones on themselves (e.g. “Why didn’t I see the suicidal signs?” or “Why didn’t I take him to the hospital sooner?”)
Here are two suggestions to help get you out of this frame of mind:
⦁ Writing – you may have to write for months, and you may even have to burn what you put down on paper as a way of letting go of recurring negative perceptions.
⦁ Rescue Remedy with White Chestnut (the latter being a great remedy for obsessive thoughts).
Excerpt from the book: DIY Therapy: Trauma
My article entitled Fake Guilt (Misplaced Responsibility) goes into greater detail about the REAL meaning of guilt.
Other articles that may be useful to you:
