Let's Talk About GUILT
Moody Talk #1 GUILT: What is Guilt and when is it Justified?
Welcome to another month of Moody Talks! I chose this emotion because many feel guilty during the holidays - maybe they argued with a loved one and are no longer in contact or guilty that they can not celebrate the holidays the way they would like. Depression can cause this emotion to skyrocket because a depressive episode can make it hard for someone to get into the spirit or they feel they are holding their loved ones back during their celebration.
This week we get into the basics of Guilt. What is the definition of Guilt and why do we have this emotion? How do we feel when we are feeling Guilty?
I think it's very important to talk about when Guilt is Justified or not. Many times we take on guilt for reasons that are beyond our control or feel guilty for saying "No" or setting boundaries. Throughout this series, we will be discussing coping skills for both Justified and Unjustified Guilt.
As always, if you have any questions or comments about this month’s emotion, please don’t hesitate to comment below! If you would like to discuss a specific aspect of Guilt, please let me know.
If you are having a hard time through the holidays (and at any time) I hope you will reach out to a trusted loved one, your doctor/therapist or the 988 suicide text hotline. You are not alone. You are loved.
Worksheets:
Moody Talk #2 GUILT: What Kinds of Guilt Do We Feel As Human Beings?
There are so many situations in life that cause people to feel Guilt. It doesn't matter if it's justified or unjustified, we still feel this very valid emotion. Usually in Week 2, I jump into coping skills to help with our emotions. But I thought it was important that I talk about different kinds of Guilt (Parental - that's my biggest, Spousal, Survivor's and more) because you may or may not know that there can be guilt building up in our relationships and throughout our lives as human beings. It's natural but it doesn't mean we have to suffer through it.
What kinds of guilt do you feel are built up in your system that need to be noticed, held and accepted? If you are having a hard time through the holidays (and at any time) I hope you will reach out to a trusted loved one, your doctor/therapist or the 988 suicide text hotline. You are not alone. You are loved.
Moody Talk #3 GUILT: Chain Analysis for Feelings of Guilt?
Our 3rd Moody Talk is about a DBT skill that has helped me to understand a problem behavior and how to analyze the events leading to it and how to stop or repair the behavior.
Chain Analysis helps to figure out the cause of the behavior (in this case a feeling of Guilt) by recounting the steps that led to the event and the consequences after. I use this often to better understand my "vulnerablity" which is how I was feeling or what kind of stress I was under that caused me to react during the situation. This helps me to create skills that could have been used during that situation and ask myself what I could have done differently. And once I understand why it happened, then I can go into repair mode - either for myself and my feelings or, if it is justified guilt, how I can make amends to the individuals involved.
Worksheets:
Moody Talk #4 GUILT: Creating Long Term Positive Emotions
Our final Moody Talk focuses on longer term Guilt and how to move past it to create positive emotions. This DBT Skill helps to get to the nitty gritty of why you are feeling this guilt and helps you identify your values and if you broke them - thus leaving you feeling guilty. These 7 steps are very helpful for moving towards a more positive outlook on yourself and the life you are leading. This skill does not rely on political, social or moral values.
Guilt is the feeling you get when you have broken your own moral code - so sitting down and writing out your values is very important in this work. Only you can accept your own personal values at the end of the day. Once you go through the steps of this skill, you will come out with a better understanding of who you want to be as a person. THEN you must decide who you want to share those values with - what community is best for your lifestyle.
As always, if you have any questions or comments about this month’s emotion, please don’t hesitate to comment below! If you would like to discuss a specific aspect of Guilt, please let me know.
If you are having a hard time through the holidays (and at any time) I hope you will reach out to a trusted loved one, your doctor/therapist or the 988 suicide text hotline. You are not alone. You are loved.
Worksheets:
