What Can Guilt Do to a Person?

Guilt As An Opportunity For Growth

Guilt can be a force that encourages us to behave in ways that shows more respect for others, ourselves, and the environment in which we live. For some people, it can be difficult to acknowledge that they may feel guilty. However, once a person can recognize their own wrongdoings, there is the opportunity for reflection and behavioral change. Guilt motivates us to become better friends, family members, partners, workers, etc., but guilt requires that we take ownership of our behaviors, which is an important ingredient in self-improvement.

Guilt As An Obstacle

Guilt can become excessive, causing us to feel inadequate or depressed. One characteristic sometimes seen in individuals who have Major Depressive Disorder is excessive guilt. The person may become so fixated on regret that they can fail to see their positive qualities or the potential to improve. Because guilt is an uncomfortable feeling, some people, rather than have anger towards themselves for decisions they have made, can become hostile toward others, displacing their anger onto anyone in their path. Guilt can also contribute to problematic behaviors, such as a lack of personal hygiene or self-care, substance use, avoiding healthy relationships, etc. Additionally, it is possible to feel guilt when we are not actually guilty; in other words, we blame ourselves for something that happened beyond our control. We may take responsibility for unfortunate events that happened out of pure coincidence, events that we had no way of knowing could have happened, or we may blame ourselves for others’ behaviors. We may also feel guilt long after our behaviors no longer affect another person and long after we have been forgiven or our behaviors have been forgotten.

Ask Yourself Questions

To determine whether the guilt you are experiencing may be healthy or unhealthy, you could ask yourself what motivated you to do what you did. Did you know that the consequences that happened were likely to result? Was anyone else to blame? Is your guilt becoming so extreme that it prevents you from recognizing your strengths, taking adequate care of yourself, or having fulfilling relationships with others? If you feel guilt, what can you do to atone? When can you allow yourself to no longer feel guilt? If experiencing excessive guilt, talking with a mental health professional can be an effective way of exploring your guilt and allowing yourself to let go of it if it is not beneficial to you.