Survivors Guilt Definition, Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment

What is the History of Survivor’s Guilt?

Survivor guilt has been documented in therapeutic writing for centuries. Freud, after the death of his father, noted his own experience of ‘self-reproach that regularly sets in among the survivors’ and wrote extensively about survivor guilt in Holocaust survivors, coining the term “survivor guilt syndrome”. A similar pattern of pathology was noted in Lifton’s (1976) detailed observations of survivors of the Hiroshima attack.

More recently, survivor guilt has been reported in a wide range of traumatized groups, including refugee populations, More recently, survivor guilt has been reported in a wide range of traumatized groups, including military veterans, refugee populations, survivors of terrorist attacks (survivor’s guilt 9/11), HIV-negative gay men, survivors of mass-casualty accidents, and grandparents who had lost a grandchild.

The term “survivor guilt” was coined by Drs. Stanley Cobb and Erich Lindemann in 1943. They defined survivor guilt as the presence of tension, loneliness, or mental pain that was precipitated by visits from loved ones, by mentioning the deceased, and by receiving sympathy. Robert Jay Lifton further explored survivor guilt, noting “psychic numbing,” or the cessation of feeling, as a dominating lifestyle characteristic experienced by those who suffered feelings of death guilt.

Survivor’s Guilt Symptoms

The extent and severity of a survivor’s guilt vary between people. Survivor’s guilt meaning and its symptoms can be both psychological and physical and often mimic those of PTSD.

The most common psychological survivor guilt symptoms include:

• Feelings of helplessness
• Flashbacks of the traumatic event
• Irritability
• Lack of motivation
• Mood swings and angry outbursts
• Obsessive thoughts about the event
• Suicidal thoughts

Common physical survivors guilt symptoms can include:

• Appetite changes
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Nausea or stomachache
• Racing heart

Survivors guilt examples and symptoms can have a serious impact on a person’s life and functioning, suggesting that further research is needed to explore effective ways to help people deal with feelings of guilt.

What Are the Traits of Survivor’s Guilt?

During a traumatic experience, the brain is sometimes unable to process the event due to its intensity. The high levels of stress overwhelm the brain, and the hippocampus, which is responsible for chronicling memories, has difficulty differentiating if the event is in the past or the present. Flashbacks can develop when the brain struggles to store the memory in its proper place. As time goes on, this processing issue can trigger mental and emotional issues as well as psychosomatic symptoms, which are physical ailments associated with increased stress and internal conflict.

Some traits of survivor’s guilt are:

• Headaches
• Excessive sweating
• Dizziness or breathlessness
• Increased heart rate
• Flashbacks
• Nausea or stomachaches
• Frequent nightmares
• Apathy
• Irritability and anger
• Insomnia or altered sleep
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Fatigue

Skip To:

• What is Survivor’s Guilt?
• What is the History of Survivor’s Guilt?
• Survivor’s Guilt Symptoms
• What Are the Traits of Survivor’s Guilt?
• PTSD Statistics
• PTSD Facts
• DSM-5 Criteria for PTSD
• Survivors Guilt Causes
• End the Emotional Pain. Get Your Life Back.
• Is Survivors Guilt a Disorder?
• First-class Facilities & Amenities
  • World-class High-Quality Mental Health Services & Behaviroal Health Substance Abuse Treatment
  • Renowned Mental Health Centers. Serene Private Facilities. Inpatient Rehab Programs Vary.
• Proven recovery success experience, backed by a Team w/ History of
• How to Deal with Survivors Guilt?
• World-class, Accredited, 5-Star Reviewed, Effective Mental Health Dual Diagnosis Programs. Complete Integrated Inpatient Rehab with Free Post Discharge Therapy Planning.
• What is Cancer Survivor Guilt?
• PTSD and Survivor Guilt
• Start a New Life
• We’ll Call You
• What is Suicide Survivor Guilt?

Learn More:

• Ketamine PTSD
• PTSD and Alcohol
• 100 PTSD Quotes
• What To Do When Someone With PTSD Pushes You Away?
• Top 10 Songs About PTSD
• PTSD Triggers
• Complex Trauma
• Complex PTSD Symptoms
• PTSD and Addiction
• PTSD Therapy Near Me

PTSD Statistics

In the current version of the diagnostic manual, the DSM-5, survivor’s guilt is a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It may be viewed as one of the cognitive and mood-related symptoms of PTSD, which include having distorted feelings of guilt and negative thoughts about oneself. PTSD can occur after you have been through trauma. About 6 of every 10 men (or 60%) and 5 of every 10 women (or 50%) experience at least one trauma in their lives. PTSD can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of weakness.

Survivors Guilt Causes

Although anyone can experience survivor guilt, many people heal from trauma without ever experiencing guilt. People with survivor’s guilt may feel that they did not deserve to survive, or that they could have done something to prevent the tragic outcome. They may also feel a sense of responsibility to those who did not survive and may struggle with feelings of grief and loss.

Symptoms of survivor’s guilt can include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and depression, as well as difficulty concentrating and making decisions. It can also lead to physical symptoms of survivor guilt, such as insomnia, loss of appetite, and fatigue. How do we define survivor’s guilt? There’s no definitive formula explaining why some people go on to feel guilty and others don’t, but experts believe the following factors can play a role.

Less social support

The DSM-5 notes that social support, both before and after trauma, can help protect against PTSD.

Loneliness can make any type of emotional distress worse since feelings you can’t share or otherwise express can easily become overwhelming.

When you don’t have support from others, you might find yourself fixating on false beliefs about the trauma, including your own sense of responsibility. You might even assume others blame you, just as you blame yourself.

Unhelpful coping skills

People cope with the effects of trauma in various ways. Some of these strategies have less benefit than others.

It’s not uncommon to try to suppress or avoid memories of the trauma in order to escape unwanted emotions like guilt and sadness. You might also try to deny feelings of guilt entirely, or alternatively, give in to them by assigning and accepting blame you don’t deserve.

In the absence of social support and other helpful strategies in dealing with survivors guilt, you could also use alcohol or other substances to numb emotional distress and keep feelings of anxiety or depression at bay.

Although PTSD models are relevant, not everyone who experiences survivor guilt will meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD. For example, they may ruminate about a death of a loved one but not intrusively re-experience it. Also, the event may not meet Criterion A for a PTSD diagnosis (which, according to DSM-5 must involve either witnessing the death or, if indirectly experienced or learned about, the death must have been violent or accidental).

Survivor guilt stories examples include, survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic (which, at the time of writing, has infected hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and killed over four million), may not develop PTSD but feel survivor guilt nonetheless. A model for survivor guilt should, therefore, be applicable to those with or without PTSD.

If you are experiencing survivor’s guilt, it is important to remember that you are not to blame for the traumatic event and that you did not have control over the outcome. Seeking support from friends, family, or a mental health professional can be helpful in managing these feelings and moving forward.

Despite the high prevalence of survivor guilt in traumatized groups, few theoretical models have been developed to guide treatment. 

How to cope with survivor’s guilt? A self-care routine is also considered to be an important part of emotional healing. Self-care typically involves regular physical movement, soothing or relaxing activities, a nutritious diet, and plenty of rest. Support is also a crucial component of coping with survivor guilt. Speaking with others who shared the experience; attending a support group; or seeking help from a trusted mentor, adviser, or spiritual counselor can help an individual feel understood. Some may also find it helpful to find a way to memorialize or honor the deceased.

How to deal with survivor’s guilt? When survivor guilt is so severe that it impacts a person’s ability to function in daily life, the support of a therapist or counselor may be recommended. A therapist can help individuals manage and process painful emotions and challenge distorted patterns of thinking that may contribute to guilt.

After a traumatic event, acceptance can feel incredibly difficult. You have to accept the event itself, which might include acknowledging and coming to terms with the loss of loved ones or your way of life. But you also have to acknowledge and accept guilt, grief, and any other emotions born from that trauma.

How to get over survivor’s guilt? Emotional support from loved ones can make a big difference after a trauma. Friends and family can offer support by listening to your distress and reminding you that you weren’t to blame.

If time doesn’t make much of a difference in feelings of survivor guilt, or any other emotional distress, talking to a therapist or other mental health professional is a good next step.

A therapist can offer guidance with:

• Exploring underlying factors contributing to guilt, such as feelings of personal responsibility
• Working through depression, fear, anxiety, and other distress
• Reframe and challenge negative thoughts around not just guilt, but also the trauma itself
• Identifying helpful coping skills and putting them into practice

It’s important to recognize that survivor’s guilt is a normal response to a traumatic event. However, if negative feelings persist or interfere with daily life, it may be helpful to seek support from a mental health professional. Therapy, support groups, and self-care practices such as mindfulness and self-compassion can be helpful in managing and coping with survivor’s guilt.

It is estimated that 85% of people in the United States will know someone personally who has completed suicide. For each suicide completed, at least 6 loved ones are directly affected by the death. While not everyone exposed to suicide will be acutely affected by the death, this is likely an underestimation as reported figures may not account for the emergency responders, health care providers, coworkers, and acquaintances also affected by the suicide. That said, individuals most closely related to the deceased are usually those most adversely affected by the death.

One of the most common feelings that suicide loss survivors have is guilt.  It is so common for people to feel like they did not do enough or that they did too much and it led to their loved ones’ death.  It is so easy to find fault with your own actions.  Many people will fault themselves for missing clues or for not understanding what was going on inside someone else’s head.

If you or your loved one suffer from trauma symptoms and survivors guilt, professional trauma disorder treatment can become necessary. To learn more, contact us today at the We Level Up FL Treatment Facility, we provide the utmost care with doctors and medical staff available 24/7 for life-changing and lasting recovery. We can help provide an enhanced opportunity to return to a fulfilling and productive life.