Survivor guilt, also known as survivors guilt, is a mental condition that occurs when a person believes they have done something wrong by surviving a traumatic or tragic event when others did not. It is a common reaction to traumatic events and a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . Survivor guilt can occur in relation to a traumatic event or a loss of life, and it can range from minor events to major ones such as a plane crash that takes the lives of others but leaves you alive.
Survivors guilt exhibits various symptoms based on the reasoning for the trauma caused, often leading to feelings of deep sorrow, disbelief, and occasionally even a sense of accountability. Some of the signs that you are experiencing survivor’s guilt include flashbacks or nightmares taking you back to the event, having your mind consumed by thoughts about what happened, having constant thoughts of not doing enough, being irritable or angry, and having trouble moving past what happened.
Survivor guilt was first identified during the 1960s, and several therapists recognized similar conditions among Holocaust survivors. Similar signs and symptoms have been recognized in survivors of traumatic situations including combat, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, air-crashes, and wide-ranging job layoffs.
It is crucial to understand the process of how survivor’s guilt develops, the strategies to manage it, and where to find appropriate help to successfully navigate through this challenging condition. Survivor’s guilt can lead to other mental health challenges aside from PTSD, including depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
