Resolving Guilt and Mitigating
Its Impact on Your Family

Audio Version

Guilt can be commonplace in many families. Parents feel guilty for not spending enough time with their children. At the same time, they may also feel guilty for neglecting their own aging parents in their care facility. Parents may feel guilty about balancing time between family and career. Adult children might feel guilty for leaving the family nest behind to start their own family or by overzealously pursuing a career. Young members can also feel guilty for misbehavior. Guilt is natural, though it isn’t always healthy. 

Carrying the Burden of Guilt in Your Family        

While feeling guilty can help you make amends, so you can continuously enjoy a harmonious relationship, an excessive amount of guilt can also be counterproductive. Carrying excessive or unnecessary guilt can put a strain on your relationships and affect the lives of those closest to you.

Due to the highly unproductive nature of false guilt, criticisms of self and of others may become an automatic reaction. This type of thinking can lead to unhealthy behaviors in the family. Your home may become a nest of sarcasm, blame, threats, hatred, fault-finding, selfishness, and even abuse.

Here are a few examples of how guilt can impact your family:

  • Guilt can cause you to overwork or become submissive in order to please everyone.
  • Guilt can turn you into an over-conscientious individual who worries over every action in order to prevent negative consequences.
  • Guilt can result in your being over sensitive and obsessed about how your decisions may affect others.
  • Guilt can immobilize you because you fear that whatever you do or say is wrong.
  • Guilt can interfere in your decision making, in your effort to always make the right choice.
  • Guilt can impel you to wear the mask of self-denial in order to feel less guilty.
  • Guilt can block or close off your emotions, preventing you from enjoying the positive fruits of life.
  • Guilt can mislead you about your real feelings.

Alleviating the Impact of Guilt in Your Family

Guilt, especially false guilt, can be paralyzing. It is understandable to regret the aftermath of a mistake or transgression, but it is not healthy to get stuck in a dark and miserable state of self-condemnation and guilt. Being consumed with guilt can keep you from enjoying life and lead to unhealthy family relationships. Don’t let guilt hold you hostage, therapy can help. 

Family counseling can help you and your family address how guilt has impacted your relationships with each other. You can work together to challenge and reframe unhelpful beliefs and thought patterns. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be very effective. 

Carolina Counseling Services – Cameron, NC contracts with skilled therapists who can help you and your family move past guilt. You can come out stronger on the other side, together. Don’t wait, call today to schedule your first appointment.

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