It really takes a strong and courageous soul to deal with the feelings of guilt. They say that guilt eats a man alive but it’s also very necessary to feel it, as it makes you aware of the wrongs that you have done.
Some people feel guilty about their anxieties and regard them as a defect of faith [but] they are afflictions, not sins. Like all afflictions, they are, if we can so take them, our share in the passion of Christ. ~ C.S. Lewis
Most of us, at some point in our lives, have experienced feelings of guilt. Many people think that feeling guilty is unhealthy, but I believe it is good because when we are guilty we feel responsible for all the wrong deeds that we have done. The only thing to fear about guilt is sometimes it just remains inside us which causes a lot of emotional and sometimes physical harm. In most cases, guilty feelings are negative emotions which a person feels.
In simple terms, you can call guilt the price that you pay for your wrong and unacceptable behavior against people and situations. Moral values and ethics have always been linked to guilt feelings, as humans feel guilty when they do something which is against their principles or beliefs. Guilty feelings should act as a prompt to stop your wrong behavior that may be causing embarrassment to you or your family. It has also been observed that guilt, in many cases, does not depend on doing something inconsiderate or immoral; it can also be a pile of all the things that you’ve been doing since a long time and you have just started realizing it now.
Guilt Feelings After Divorce
Ending a marriage is not just tough on the papers, it is an emotional and painful process which people undertake. While most people experience it differently, some of them are just buried with feelings of guilt and shame. In most cases, relationship issues and infidelity leads to divorce and it is not a pretty sign. It is obvious to be sad after a divorce and people try ways to make sure that they can come out of the feeling of being left alone. In such situations experiencing guilt and shame is a normal reaction and these feelings arise because we feel that we’ve failed somewhere in our relationship. Regardless of the reasons for divorce, sometimes the feelings of guilt are intense and people can’t think logically. There have been many divorce cases where couples really couldn’t think straight because they were having a tough time not expressing what they felt. After a while these feelings become strong and are turned into anger and depression which cause more damage and could even lead to anxiety and panic attacks.
Feelings of Guilt for no Reason
It is very common to have inappropriate guilt feelings which motivates us to make changes in ourselves. Once you’ve erred, the feeling of guilt overpowers your mind and heart and you start thinking of new ways on how to deal with guilt. But often, there are times when people feel guilty even when they haven’t done anything wrong. Unusual guilty feelings come with unhealthy upbringing and some unhappy memories where you’ve been the target. It may be easier to accept sad memories sometimes, but not always. There may be many incidents which can actually trigger feelings of anger and revenge in you. Another major reason where guilt appears for no reason is when people find it hard to accept failure. A perfectionist who has seen failure for the first time may often punish himself with feelings of guilt, and blame himself for the lack of success. Feeling guilty for no apparent reason can have a drastic effect on your health, so it is always better to express your feelings and understand how to deal with problems like these.
You can always take counseling sessions if you really want help in dealing with the feelings of guilt. Always remember that having the courage of doing the right thing is important. No one is perfect―we all make mistakes and we all feel guilty.