How to Cope with Survivor’s Guilt

Survivor’s guilt occurs in some people who live through a dangerous, life-threatening situation. It can make someone feel guilty for living through something that killed or severely injured other people. It may also cause someone to feel guilty for not doing enough to save the lives of the people who died during the experience. Survivor’s guilt may also affect a person who was saved by a person who died during the ordeal.

Survivor’s guilt can develop as a result or war, natural disasters, car accidents, sexual abuse, and epidemics. While there is little someone can do about the traumatic experience, therapy can help them manage their emotions and behaviors related to the trauma. BetterHelp.com has therapists who are qualified to help you if you are suffering from PTSD or survivor’s guilt. Cognitive processing therapy is a common type of therapy used as an effective treatment of PTSD. 

Guilt After Trauma

The guilt that affects people after a traumatic experience is often a feeling similar to regret that comes from the idea that you should have done something different. Trauma related guilt, including survivor’s guilt, does not depend on the type of trauma.

Survivor’s guilt is a symptom of post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. It is seen as one of the mood or cognitive symptoms of PTSD and can distort feelings and cause negative emotions and thoughts. However, one does not have to suffer with PTSD to experience survivor’s guilt and not everyone who has PTSD experiences survivor’s guilt.

Some people are more likely to experience survivor’s guilt than others and they may be more likely to believe that they are the cause of tragedy and underestimate the contributions from external factors.

A history of depression can also make it more likely that someone will experience survivor’s guilt after a traumatic event. Low-self esteem may also be a factor because it can cause a person to value their own happiness or wellbeing less than the people who were also effected by the traumatic event.

Symptoms of Survivor’s Guilt

Survivor’s guilt can range from mild to severe and the symptoms are often similar to anxiety or PTSD. It can cause someone to feel helpless because they were not able to save themselves or someone else during the traumatic experience. It may cause flashbacks or nightmares related to the traumatic event.

People with survivor’s guilt may be more irritable and have mood swings. They may think obsessively about the traumatic event as well. Physical symptoms include difficulty sleeping, headaches, and increased heart rate.

Survivor’s guilt can impact a person’s livelihood and wellbeing. It is associated with shame, depression, anxiety, and suicide. It is also connected to the development of PTSD.

Hindsight Bias

After a traumatic experience, a person may feel regretful and think about the things that happened obsessively. They may think that they should or could have done something differently to prevent trauma or tragedy.

Hindsight bias occurs when someone overestimates their ability to have known about or been able to change the traumatic experience. Someone with hindsight bias may feel like they should have known what was going to happen or known what to do during the event. They may be convinced that they should have changed the traumatic outcome.

Coping with Survivor’s Guilt

There are some things that you can do to help manage the negative symptoms associated with survivor’s guilt. First, you need to allow yourself to mourn. If other people lost their lives, it is important to acknowledge that and grieve. Everyone mourns in their own way, but you should make sure that you give yourself the time to do so adequately.

Then, you can work towards forgiving yourself even if your actions directly caused another person harm. This can help you move forward towards positivity. You can also take your negative emotions and use them to do something positive. This may mean volunteering or just helping out a family member, friend, or neighbor.

You can also try to think about the factors that contributed to the event. Think about the things that you could never have done anything about that led to the traumatic or tragic event. This can help you reduce the blame that you put on yourself.

Treatment

Therapy can be effective to help with survivor’s guilt or PTSD. Cognitive behavioral therapy and a type of CBT called cognitive processing therapy can be especially useful for people who suffer from PTSD or who experience survivor’s guilt. These types of therapy can help you replace negative and unrealistic thoughts with more realistic or positive ones.

You could also join a support group of people who have undergone similar experiences. These days, it is usually not very hard to find a support group online, but there may also be one in your own community.

Final Thoughts on Survivor’s Guilt

Survivor’s guilt can be overwhelming and affect your ability to function. It can alter your mood and distract your mind. However, therapy is available that can help you reduce your feelings of guilt and regret and work towards a positive future.

When you put a lot of thought into the process and make sure that is plenty to do, you have a good chance of experiencing a staycation that you will be thinking about for quite some time.

Post contributed by Marie Miguel

Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.