What does guilt do to the body?

Guilt is a common emotion, but it can be a particularly painful one. People usually experience guilt when they engage in behavior that doesn’t line up with their personal beliefs or morals. Cheating on a partner, taking an accessible parking space they aren’t permitted for, or even cutting corners on monthly budgeting can lead to feelings of guilt.

Emotions like guilt can impact the body in multiple ways. Intense feelings can result in emotional pain, and this can cause physical symptoms that appear in the body and have no underlying physical cause. Any emotion can cause emotional pain that results in physical symptoms. Guilt has been associated with a feeling of “weight” in the body, as in the common phrase, “Carrying the weight of guilt,” but other symptoms are possible.

Some of the physical symptoms that may result from intense emotional pain include:

• Headache
• Muscle pain and tension, especially in the shoulders or neck
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Aches and pains in any area of the body

Physical and emotional pain are different, but research indicates that both types of pain share similarities. In brain imaging studies using MRI or magnetic resonance imaging, the same areas of the brain are activated by both physical and emotional pain. Some researchers believe that rather than looking at physical and emotional pain as different, they should be looked at as occurring along a pain spectrum.

Intense guilt may cause body tension, which can result in physical pain. Addressing both the emotional and physical pain caused by guilt is important. If you’re unsure that your guilt contributes to the physical pain you are experiencing, visit your trusted medical provider to rule out any potential underlying physical cause. If you’re experiencing strictly emotional pain and guilt, talking with a licensed mental health provider can help. In therapy, you can determine the exact cause of the problem, whether or not it is tied to some larger issue, and create strategies to address what you’re experiencing.

If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or are feeling hopeless, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

 at 1-800-272-8255 for support.