An experience of a massive personal or environmental disaster will always have varied subjective reactions of the victims. Confronting a major tragic event has several psychological consequences for the ones who survive them. One of the most under-noticed effects is the survivor’s guilt. It is a particular mental condition wherein the person develops feelings of guilt for surviving a life-threatening incident when others could not. This psychological phenomenon develops with over-analysis of their behaviours and actions during the traumatic event which brings the feelings of helplessness. The idea of outliving our loved ones is unbearable and forms the core of this condition. The catastrophic situations where survivor’s guilt commonly develops include wars where soldiers go through major physical as well as emotional setbacks, mass murders that are highly unpredictable in nature, natural calamities where the chances of survival are limited and escaping traps of trafficking or kidnapping. In all these instances the traumatic event is a prolonged one that hampers the individual’s sense of stability.
The common signs and symptoms of the survivor’s guilt include flashbacks and nightmares where the victim is harassed by the images or sounds of the traumatic event which makes them zone out from the present environment. There are also signs of irritability and lack of motivation which takes place due to the emotional burden they carry along with the frustration of not being able to forget about it. Obsessive thoughts about the event also occur which contributes to maintaining the cycle of trauma. Physical symptoms include racing heart, changes in sleep and appetite. There is also a consequence of hindsight bias in the condition of survivor’s guilt where the victim overestimates their ability to have known the outcome of an event which exaggerates their regret.
There are a few casual as well as risk factors for survivor’s guilt to develop in certain individuals which include:
1. Locus of control: If a person is more likely to internalise blame they will tend to attribute any mishap or disaster to their own personal characteristics rather than external forces. They highlight their flaws a lot more than that the surrounding environmental factors.
2. Self-esteem: The role of low self-esteem is also important as low self-esteem individuals are more prone to face survivor’s guilt than individuals with higher self-esteem. This is because people with lower self-esteem often question their worth and whether they deserve to be lucky. Thus, they experience a feeling of inadequacy.
3. Coping skills: Individuals who rely more on avoidance coping styles such as behavioural disengagement and wishful thinking are also more likely to suffer from survivor’s guilt.
4. History of trauma: people who have had a difficult traumatic childhood are more likely to experience negative emotions following a life-threatening situation as that reminds them of their unhealed wounds of the past.
5. Lack of social support: Victims who have a solid social network post misery will cope and adjust better as compared to those who have lost all of their support in the tragedy. These survivors will face more negative thoughts and emotions.
6. Unhealthy use of defence mechanisms: Survivors of a major accident often use several defence mechanisms. The ones who can use rationalisation to reduce their anxiety and increase acknowledgement of their situation can cope better without feeling guilty.
Considering the global pandemic event of covid-19, where multiple people have lost their loved ones in death and have gone through major spiritual and emotional damage. This psychologically challenging situation creates feelings of guilt in those who survived the tragedy especially due to the following number of beliefs, that they might be unknowingly carriers of the virus, not being able to meet their loved ones during ongoing treatment or unable to arrange for the time needed medicines or oxygen. The catastrophic circumstance of people experiencing constant anxiety only to find out their loved ones could not make it not only makes one miserable and also extremely guilty. This situation of uncertainty causes them to over analyse the possible actions they could have done or not done. Their constant rumination makes them emotionally vulnerable.
There are a few ways that have been suggested by mental health practitioners as healthy ways to cope with the survivor’s guilt. Firstly, it’s vital to accept the situation and accept that there was nothing they could have done to change it. Viewing themselves as a person who has no control over life’s major events is important. It is also essential to focus on the outside factors that led to the event rather than internalising blame. They are also provided supportive psychotherapy where they are made to recognize their feelings are part of a natural process of healing from grief. Practising healthy coping skills and focusing on using mature defence mechanisms is also crucial. It is also necessary to limit rumination and over-analysis in order to limit revisiting the traumatic event. Self-care routine is another way to channel negative emotions into a creative task like singing, relaxing, swimming or writing a gratitude journal. Practising self-forgiveness can help one gain a positive perspective of oneself and one’s situation. Lastly, engaging in simple proactive behaviour can also contribute to alleviating their stress. Overall, it can be said that as a survivor’s guilt is a subjective reaction to a stressful trauma, its solution to cope will also depend on the individual’s subjective perspective of their journey to heal in their own way.
– Urveez Kakalia & Debanjana Banerjee.