Women struggle mightily with the emotion of guilt. I’ve observed this truth for nearly 30 years as a psychotherapist, and also as a friend, mother, employer, neighbor, and every other role I play with fellow women. When it comes to emotional well-being, guilt may be the greatest obstacle we face.
Men struggle with guilt, too, it’s a human emotion, but this article isn’t about men. It’s also not about guilt in a universal sense, as it relates to original sin. It’s about women and our habit of feeling guilty for pretty much everything.
What I see in my office day in and day out is this: many women believe that everything that’s “wrong,” has ever been “wrong,” and will ever go “wrong” is their fault. If something or someone else isn’t OK, they’ve done something to cause it. They are guilty and thereby responsible for fixing it. At the same time, women feel guilty for taking care of or needing anything for themselves. The truth is, women feel guilty most of the time. Guilty is just our normal state….