Since it helps to realign with personal ideals, feeling ashamed or remorseful for an activity that has negative results is frequently acceptable and reasonable. However, excessive and unreasonable sentiments that stem from the sense of personal failure can be harmful. This is the kind of shame that arises with mental illnesses like anxiety and depression.
Guilt and melancholy frequently coexist, despite the fact that they are rarely spoken. In actuality, one of the primary symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is acknowledged to be excessive or inappropriate guilt. Even if the real events are not consistent with the sad condition, a depressed person may have sentiments of guilt and self-blame. However, these guilt emotions in depression may be treated, regardless of how severe they are.
Does Guilt Indicate Depression?
Emotions of self-blame are common in depression. According to the DSM-5, the American Psychiatric Association↗ even acknowledges feelings of worthlessness and overwhelming guilt as diagnostic criteria for major depressive illness. Based on the study, the NCBI genomic information, biological literature, and other relevant materials are centralized at the National Center for Biotechnology.
According to the source, people who are depressed exhibit less activity in the parts of the brain linked to behavioral planning, which leaves them more susceptible to feelings of shame and guilt.
What Leads to Depression Guilt?
The main causes of shame in depressed people are typically perceived mistakes and failures. You could feel bad about both big and small things. For example, you may have excessive guilt for things that happened years ago or for not replying to a friend’s message promptly.
Guilt and melancholy might occasionally leave you feeling lost and questioning what you are going through. When depression symptoms persist for a long time, you may feel guilty for your condition or blame yourself for not taking adequate action to address the problem. Feelings of guilt may be exacerbated if you compare yourself to others who are experiencing worse circumstances or believe that you are only acting and have no right to be miserable. Because depression triggers additional symptoms that result in social disengagement, you may feel guilty and blame yourself for your relationships’ failure.
But it’s important to realize that sadness affects everyone and is not a choice. Indeed, according to WHO estimates↗ , depression affects around 5% of individuals worldwide. Many of these depressed people have guilt levels that are out of proportion to the seriousness of their actual experiences.
Once more, comparing oneself to others might make you feel guilty, particularly if they appear to be doing better. Even if two individuals may be struggling with depression, their experiences vary greatly. Consequently, it is improper to judge or perceive yourself as a failure based on the advancements of others.
Depression affects mental, social, and cognitive functioning as well as focus. Performance at work or school suffers as a result. This might also make depressed individuals feel guilty. Whatever the reason, keep in mind that guilt in sadness is not your fault and that you are capable of overcoming it.
Can Depression Be Caused by Guilt?
Emotions are produced by thoughts and influence a person’s behavior. Sadness or a poor mood are the results of the cycle starting with negative thoughts. Dealing with sadness and guilt requires breaking the pattern and figuring out a solution that works for you. A psychotherapist can assist you in creating coping mechanisms and addressing depression-related guilt.
How to Get Rid of Guilt When You’re Depressed
In depression, guilt can be a recalcitrant symptom that controls your feelings and ideas. However, you may lessen and get rid of guilt in sadness by:
1. Being nice to oneself
The thoughts of depressed people are frequently dominated by self-blame and self-doubt. However, by engaging in self-kindness via thankfulness and positive self-talk, you may combat these negative ideas. Self-kindness may take many forms, such as taking a daily walk or drinking a glass of water.
2. Recording your emotions
Have you ever questioned why you feel bad about having depression? Journaling will help you decompress, even if you might not be able to articulate why you feel bad and appear to be caught in a complicated web. It assists you in comprehending and reframing your feelings and ideas. Therefore, when writing in your notebook, think about responding to queries such as “What’s causing my guilt?” and “What if the reverse were true?”
3. Meditation↗
It may not be feasible to document everything when sad because thoughts have a tendency to flow downward. These depressed symptoms can be lessened by pausing when these guilt or shameful feelings start. A straightforward press-pause method is to engage in guilt-specific meditation or breathing exercises.
4. Talk therapy
You’re not alone, and you shouldn’t fight sadness alone, despite what guilt may make you feel. Think about speaking with a friend or a mental health expert if you’re experiencing recurring thoughts and guilt emotions. Speaking with someone else can help you see things from a different angle and come up with a workable solution.
5. Working out
By lowering stress hormone levels and encouraging the release of feel-good chemicals called endorphins, physical activity↗ improves recuperation. To improve your ability to think and control your emotions, think about taking a bike ride, doing yoga, or going for a stroll.
In conclusion
One of the most prevalent signs of sadness is guilt. But the guilt is always out of proportion to the real circumstances, and it can prevent depressed people from getting well. See a licensed mental health professional for more coping strategies when you feel intense, ongoing guilt in addition to writing, exercise, and self-kindness exercises.
