Self-Punishment and guilt

I think we are all here somehow punishing ourselves for something we feel guilty about.

Be it depression, SH, sui ideation, ana, mia, relationships going wrong, isolation, etc.

If you agree, what is this thing we feel guilty about?

The more ideas the Better,
So please if you feel you have something to say, please do write it down. Thanks.

With love,
Sinking

Hi Sinking.

For a long time I have carried guilt around inside of me, yes. Guilt for not having measured up to society's standard of being a solid consistent productive contributer. And those are my own standards as well. Having fallen short of the mark most of the time, I've basically had to aim for other standards which offset that sense of guilt, through trying to reduce my impact on my country, the environment, and hopefully, at the end of the day, on the hard working people whose tax dollars support my life. I'm still going, still have goals.

So, that's what it is for me.

I do hope you're going okay Sinking. We're all in the same boat together.🙏

Guilt is valid when we have done something wrong and need to apologize to another person. Like we stole something from them or wronged them.


When that is not the case and we still feel guilty then maybe it is time to shelve that emotion as it only serves to burden us for no reason. This is not true guilt at all. Just a masquerade of thorns and barbs that we torture ourselves with. Does everybody feel guilt? Some would but others dont. Self flagellation is not productive. Humans are not perfect. Never will be.

You nailed it on the head. Guilt , self flagellation , anger turned inward , all because of something that cannot be undone. Whether an action or verbal attack that happened usually in the past , we constantly live saying " I'm sorry " to someone else or ourselves. I didn't take a bite of that apple, " so to speak. Yet I carry that kind of guilt around all the time. I either wronged God or my fellow man or even an imaginary wrong that I misinterpreted ! You can make amends , you can say your sorry but no matter what the case you MUST MOVE ON !

Too many people live with the consequences of my choices, it's hard to put myself in that position again and feel ethical about it

I felt guilty that I even existed. My own mother wanted me dead,but she is pious enough to not kill me herself.She had no qualms about hiding it either. She was very vocal about it.When ever there was a conversation between us,which was very scarce in the first place,her go to sentence is....Why don't you just die?I was young and didn't know how to die.I asked around and got a label that I was a crazy little girl who enquires how do you die.I thought death is a skill you learn.And I wanted to please my mom so hard.I noticed adults becoming wild eyed,when I asked ..Do you know how to die? I didn't even know why they acted like that and scurried away.

I am sorry for everyone here suffering.

but i believe self punishment is like giving yourself venom hoping it will heal you and your feelings linked to the past.

maybe we should make more kind gestures towards others and ourselves, we have suffered enough. you cant change the past but you can change someone else's future with even a kind smile.

it will never make up for the wrong in the past but it does more good that poisoning ourselves each and every day....