Nearly everyone has a conscience, and sometimes that conscience can be really hard on us.
Guilt arises when we perceive that we have done something wrong, or that our behaviour has failed to meet a prescribed external standard. It may be a standard that a particular individual holds, or socially sanctioned standards that we’ve been trained to regard as absolutes (such as fidelity, honesty or bravery).
While guilt provides a useful moral compass that helps keep society ‘civilised’, it is only useful up to a point. When a healthy conscience becomes overactive, guilt stops serving a purpose. It becomes relentless, harsh and punitive, something that drains your energy and holds you back. It can plague you and impact your daily life in ways that aren’t immediately obvious, sabotaging your career, your relationships, your physical health, and of course, your emotions.
Is it time to seek help? Hypnotherapy, self hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), counselling and mindfulness therapy are all methods that clients have found effective in treating this problem.
Our trained therapists can work with you to start addressing the underlying reasons for your excessive feelings of guilt. We also recommend several options for hypnotherapy recordings targeted at excessive guilt and shame.
Call us on (03) 9557 9113 or use our contact form to see how we may be able to help you address your feelings of guilt.
You can also book an appointment by using our online booking form for online appointments. Or, if you prefer, you can book an in-clinic session.
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What’s the difference between shame and guilt?
Individuals who are constantly wracked with guilt often feel enormous shame as well. The terms ‘guilt’ and ‘shame’ are often used interchangeably, but they are actually distinct concepts.
- Guilt refers to transgression — with having committed a ‘crime’ by breaking a specific rule, or failing to live up to a defined standard. Although it’s a loaded word, in many situations guilt is a straightforward fact — like being guilty of tax evasion or failure to do the dishes.
- Shame, on the other hand, refers to the feeling of worthlessness or humiliation due to that perceived or actual guilt. Shame can make you feel hopeless, bad, ugly, toxic and unlovable. It is an excruciating emotion, and many people understandably go to great lengths to avoid coming face to face with the shame they have buried deep inside. Shame can also be used to control or manipulate people — whether or not their feelings of culpability are justified.
It’s possible to get into a cycle of hair-trigger guilt and shame, where you feel those emotions for no good reason.
Some people feel so bad that they fall into a destructive cycle of self-punishment. Because of their shame over the transgression they believe they’re guilty of, they feel they don’t deserve to be happy.
Whether these feelings are warranted or not, it’s important to seek help when it takes over your life. Some consequences of chronic guilt and shame can include:
- Anxiety
- Frustration
- Lack of confidence
- Depression
- Anger
- Lack of satisfying relationships
- Loneliness
- Self loathing and self criticism
- Self harming behaviours (including addictions, cutting, eating disorders, and gambling)
- Physical symptoms such as digestive problems or headaches
- Insomnia
- Failing to sustain relationships
It can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health, and many people will need professional help to address them effectively.
Please call us on (03) 9557 9113 to book an assessment at our Highett clinic or via a secure online connection. Your call is completely confidential, and there’s absolutely no obligation.
If you are ready to begin treatment, schedule your initial session here.
If you’d like to start straight away, our self-hypnosis MP3 recording for overcoming guilt can be downloaded here.
