Survivor Guilt

Traumatic events such as wars, natural disasters, and economic meltdowns lead to much suffering for victims and their families. However, those who survive such events can develop additional mental anguish, termed survivor guilt, if they believe they should not have survived or that they did something wrong by making it through the traumatic event. This is a key concept to consider in disaster relief, as survivor guilt is often an a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and should be treated to allow the survivor to function normally and release the guilt they feel about the event.

Guilt is a common response following traumatic events that result in loss, injury, or death. A person may even fell guilty without being consciously aware of it. Guilt assumes the presence of choice and the power to exercise it, and survivor guilt may be an unconscious attempt to counteract or undo helplessness. The idea that one could have prevented what happened may be more desirable than the notion that events were completely random and senseless. However, assigning responsibility based on normal circumstances for what happened during traumatic conditions may result in an inaccurate and unfair assessment.

Studies suggest that, after an event, people overestimate their preexisting, predictive knowledge of the event. This means that the guilt they are experiencing is often unjustified, which makes it difficult to understand and address. This type of guilt is often termed imagined guilt, and includes the types of guilt that occur in the absence of having acted harmfully. This guilt can include self-condemnation and can result in harm to self or others (such as the action or elicitation of rejection, disdain, and/or punishment). Possible causes for self-condemnation include feelings of guilt for surviving or being uninjured when others were killed or injured, feelings of guilt that they were unable to rescue someone or had to leave someone dying in the disaster, or feelings of helplessness and guilt for not being able to overcome an adversary. Some suggest that the guilt may even be a way of commemorating the dead when no burial is possible as an expression of loyalty and remembrance, which unfortunately can cause continued emotional turmoil for the survivor. This guilt can also bond survivors, since they have survived a similar experience, and they can empathize with the others' suffering. These feelings can develop initially, or after the elation of surviving subsides.

Soldiers attend a vigil for comrades killed in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, November 6, 2009

Coping with Survivor Guilt

Often, a survivor of an event is surrounded by friends and family who celebrate their return, yet the survivor feels a sense of responsibility for those who did not make it through the traumatic event. Many survivors of the Holocaust developed survivor guilt, which led to some of the first diagnoses of this mental condition. Survivors of plane crashes; the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; natural disasters; war and conflict situations; and abuse have manifested feelings indicative of survivor guilt, as do emergency responders, who rescue people during these deadly events. This symptom of PTSD is especially critical, as it has been correlated with increased suicide attempts.

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