Rain Are The World's Tears

Irrational Guilt

In case of depression, guilt is often exaggerated and experienced out of context. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly everyday (not merely self-reproach or guilt for being sick) is recognized as one of the core symptoms of depression. Guilty emotions are typically irrational. The person creates these perceptions of their own failures that ferment in their minds. Their actions then reflect these emotions, which causes these perceptions to continue. The relationship between depression and guilt forms a swirling pool of negative thoughts.

Appropriate guilt: Feeling guilty for a justifying reason is a sign that out conscience and cognitive abilities are working properly to stop us from repeating or making mistakes. This gives us the opportunity to learn and change our behavior in the future. The perpetual feeling of guilt is known as "guilt-proneness" and people who experience guilt-proneness are believed to have a strong connection with their own and other's emotions.

Irrational guilt: When we mistakenly assume responsibility for a situation or overestimate the suffering caused, is another matter entirely and can be very damaging if we do not take steps to resolve it. Excessive irrational guilt has been linked to mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, dysphoria (feeling of constant dissatisfaction) and obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD). It can cause sufferers to believe they are a burden to their loved ones and those around them. Unchecked guilt can also result in flagging concentration and productivity, low mood, increased stress and lack of sleep. As a result our relationships, daily actions and overall outlook on life can be badly affected.

Even if the people know their life looks one way, they still might feel another way. Living with depression can bring up thoughts of guilt and shame. This attempt to justify depression could leave them feeling like they have no reason to be depressed, that others have it worse, or that they do not have the right to be depressed. For others, depression pushes them to withdraw socially, leading to guilt for nor being a good friend for example.

Many things can cause feelings of guilt, for example feeling guilty for not calling your mom enough, for procrastinating on a project at work or even for some mistake made over a decade ago. Living with depression could also leave people feeling guilty and second-guessing what they are going through. It is important to remember that having depression is not a choice for anybody. None of the 280 million people worldwide, who are living with depression, according to estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO), chose to suffer from depression.

For many people with depression, the level of guilt is disproportionate to the situation. For example they may feel massive or long-term guilt over minor events. Guilt about depression can also arise for many reasons. For example, guilt sometimes comes up when they can not fix something. Therefore, when they are struggling with their depression, it could lead to them feeling guilty because they are not solving it "fast enough".

Comparison with others may also spark guilt. Of course, one never truly knows what another person is going through and someone else's experience does not dampen their own.

Common challenges in depression, like focusing at work or maintaining a social life, might also lead to guilt for being unable to perform at the usual level. A guilt complex or the persistent guilt a person feels over something they believed they caused, may be at play. Needless to say, nobody chose or caused their own depression.