Guilt is Not an Emotion, But a Thought.

3 Types of Guilt

Author

Anama Gómez
January 17, 2024 

We are empathetic beings by nature, although we also bear the burden of being territorial and, at times, prone to violence. However, it's our empathy that leads us to experience guilt, a complex process deserving of our attention. Do you remember the last time you experienced that sensation? What triggered it?

THE EXISTENTIAL GUILT THAT COMES VERY CLEARLY FROM SPENDING SO MUCH TIME NOT BEING ME. existential guilt comes from doing things you don't want to do to become someone you are not. 🐼🪧❤️‍🔥

Guilt is something we coexist with at a psychological level all the time. It's a major factor that leads a person to therapy, grappling with that constant sense of guilt. Interestingly, guilt is not an emotion but rather a thought, a cognitive distortion in some way. Nevertheless, it exists with crucial social, moral, ethical purposes, and more.

I came across a classification of guilt from the Institute of Gestalt Psychotherapy, fascinating! This humanistic institute of psychotherapy tells us that guilt can be separated into three broad categories, three different types of guilt.

  1. Real Guilt: Always requires reparation in this category, the responsibility is clear, and repair is necessary. It's a call to action to correct our actions.

  2. Neurotic Guilt: Overwhelming Anxiety and should be anxiety in neurosis transforms into neurotic guilt, driven by exaggerated demands, the "should be," and perfectionism. A common trap we fall into.

  3. Existential Guilt: This type of guilt arises from finding ourselves in unwanted situations, doing things we don't desire. It's the internal voice questioning our authenticity.

    To address these guilts, acceptance is required, and in many cases, a psychotherapeutic process. The pursuit of love, acceptance, and external recognition is part of our nature, but the solution lies in accepting reality and finding spaces where we feel loved and understood.

TRY THIS OUT

Existential Guilt and Personal Fulfillment: Existential guilt manifests when we spend too much time not being authentic, not living the life we truly want. Can you relate to being in a place or doing something that doesn't fulfill you? The inner voice whispers, are you still there?

               Resolving Existential Guilt

Discover who you are and what you want. Personal fulfillment is key. We want to realize ourselves in the actions we undertake. Living with situations or people who don't fulfill us only increases the burden of existential guilt.

PLANS FOT THOSE WHO HAVE NO PLANS

A dream map acts as a constant reminder of our aspirations. Each time we look at it, we send positive signals to our subconscious, reinforcing the belief that our dreams are achievable. 🧚💐🐠

Ana's vision board

With love,

Anama Gómez 💛