Roughly speaking, Guilt falls into two categories – guilt which is seen as healthy and appropriate and guilt which is seen as unhealthy and irrational, otherwise known as ‘toxic guilt’ or maladaptive guilt
Appropriate Guilt/Adaptive Guilt/Pro-Social Guilt
Although an unpleasant feeling, ‘appropriate’ guilt is believed to be ‘helpful’ as it helps to regulate our social behaviour and our understanding of wrongdoing and responsibility. Feeling guilty for a justifiable reason is a sign that our conscience and cognitive abilities are working properly to stop us repeating or making mistakes. This gives us the opportunity to learn and change our behaviour in the future.
The perpetual feeling of guilt is known as ‘guilt-proneness’ and people who experience guilt prone-ness are believed to have a strong connection with their own – and others’ – emotions.
Irrational/Maladaptive Guilt (‘Toxic’ Guilt)
The irrational kind – when we mistakenly assume responsibility for a situation, or overestimate the suffering caused – is another matter entirely and can have a very negative impact on life and/or be very damaging if we don’t take steps to resolve it. This guilt might include chronic guilt – a guilt that relates to shame.
Excessive irrational guilt has been linked to emotional distress and manifest itself mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, dysphoria (feelings of constant dissatisfaction) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). It can cause sufferers to believe they’re a burden to their loved ones and those around them. Unchecked guilt can also result in flagging concentration and productivity, low mood, increased stress and lack of sleep. As a result, our relationships, daily actions and overall outlook on life can be badly affected.
Yet there is a further distinction in the types of guilt we might experience:
Reactive Guilt – happens when a person believes they have acted against either their own personal beliefs or that of society in terms of what is morally good or acceptable.
Anticipatory Guilt – the result of thinking about acting against personal moral standards or the standards of society. A person may choose not to take a certain action because they know it is wrong or believe it may hurt others.
Existential Guilt – can describe a person’s feelings for general injustice, or the idea that “Life isn’t fair.” It can also describe the guilt a person feels for the negative impact they may have on the lives of others.