Feelings of guilt are common in many psychological disorders. It’s part of a sometimes bewildering array of negative emotions that comes along with depression and anxiety disorders. Commonplace guilt usually arises when we’ve done something that conflicts with our sense of morality and is the sign of a troubled conscience. But the guilt that accompanies depression often lacks a cause or has an exceedingly minor source. You may have felt it yourself, even though objectively you’ve got nothing to feel guilty about.
Justified guilt isn’t a bad thing. It can prompt us to make amends for things we’ve done that are wrong. But depression brings a completely different kind of guilt with it. Guilt that comes along with depression and anxiety not only lacks an objective cause, it’s also tied strongly to feelings of personal inadequacy. Guilt that’s part of a psychological disorder tends to be a form of reflexive self-punishment for imagined wrongs. It is both persistent and worrying and in a typical feedback loop for depression, makes us feel worse, prompting even more feelings of guilt for being depressed.
Feeling guilty for being depressed, for being unable to be the person you were before depression came along, is very common in depression. People with depression have a tendency to beat themselves up for aspects of the disorder they have no control over. They may try to rationalize their depression, by saying or thinking “Other people have it worse than me; I have no right to feel this bad.”
Unresolved guilt doesn’t stop with making people feel emotionally miserable. It generates a great deal of tension which leads to physical symptoms that add to those typically experienced by people suffering from depression, including:
- Trouble sleeping
- Stomach pain, nausea, indigestion
- Tearfulness
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
Note that guilt is distinct from shame. Shame may also accompany depression. A good way to differentiate the two is that guilt is about something we’ve done—or think we’ve done. Shame is about who we are and what we’re worth. It’s quite possible to experience guilt without shame and vice-versa.
If you’ve struggled with feelings of chronic guilt and can’t seem to shake it, Damaris Aragon, ARNP, BC provides a full spectrum of mental health care to people in Spokane, Washington, and surrounding areas. She focuses on providing personalized, compassionate care that adheres to current evidence-based standards. Reach out to Damaris through her contact page or calling 509-342-6592.
