Survivor guilt syndrome
Survivor guilt syndrome (or survivor guilt) is the experience of psychological distress due to surviving or escaping a situation relatively unharmed or unaffected, as compared to others
The most common psychological symptoms include:
Feelings of helplessness
Flashbacks of the traumatic event
Irritability
Lack of motivation
Mood swings and angry outbursts
Obsessive thoughts about the event
Suicidal thoughts
Taking time to grieve the loss of life or property is an important first step. Along with that, maintaining one’s physical health, especially a positive diet and sleep habits, is vital. Taking positive action, particularly to help others touched by the traumatic event they survived, reportedly helps some people feel that they are of service and reminds them that their life has value.
Psychology today “Survivor Guilt” https://bit.ly/3WDqsCG
Kendra Cherry, MSEd Verywellmind (2024) “Coping With Survivor's Guilt”Retrieved from https://bit.ly/4gmPsoX