Can guilt cause nausea?

Guilt can be such a negative emotion to experience, even when it is there for a purpose. Just like with other emotions in the body, we all have different responses to each emotion.  For example, some people get verbally loud when angry, whereas others might get more physical when angry. Guilt is very closely associated with stress and anxiety.  Stress and anxiety can be somewhat toxic to the body if it is not processed through.  Stress and anxiety have a common consequence of having an upset stomach and/or nausea.  If someone’s guilt is not processed through and lived out, nausea will likely get worse and worse. 

Another part of nausea associated with guilt that is important to consider is that so many human emotions and feelings are created in our gut.  When someone feels guilty, they will often feel it in the abdominal part of their body.  This reaction can sometimes even cause someone to get anxious about nausea and that reaction in the body. When that happens in the body, it can, unfortunately, make nausea worse and worse.  For example, if I feel guilty for hurting a friend and then do not feel like I will change that mistake, I will likely continue to feel guilty.  Then that guilt will cause a nauseous feeling in my body which alarms me, which causes more anxiety which then causes more nausea. 

Guilt can cause several reactions in people, especially when they do not live out the purpose of the guilt.  For some people, guilt can cause them to eat emotionally.  This type of eating occurs when eating to cover up an emotion rather than actually feeling their hunger cues.  When someone eats when they are not actually hungry, that can easily cause them to feel nauseous.  Unless they make the connection that that is what is causing nausea, that person will likely continue to use this as what they think is their coping skill.  Therefore, they will, unfortunately, continue to feel nauseous, and so the vicious cycle will continue.