Military personnel are in a unique position to experience survivor’s guilt because of two primary factors. One is the bond they form with other members of the unit, platoon, or firing team. The second is the military’s exposure to combat and other high-intensity situations. Understanding survivor’s guilt in the military is the aim of this blog post. We’ll also discuss ways military personnel can heal from survivor’s guilt.
Survivor’s guilt is an emotional and, at times, visceral response to a loss in one’s life. This blog post is solely focused on survivor’s guilt among in the military. However, I will note that survivor’s guilt can take place in areas of life, for example, car accidents, first responders, or school shootings.
Causes of Survivor’s Guilt
Survivor’s guilt forms after an attachment to someone becomes severed or severely impacted by a loss or a traumatic situation, i.e. someone near to you becomes an amputee or suffers a significant head injury, which then limits their functioning. On the other hand, you are left with less severe injuries or survive the situation.
What Does Survivor’s Guilt Look Like?
Survivor’s guilt can manifest and look differently for each person. Someone will most likely experience a grief and loss process at some point, meaning they will experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. It’s important to remember that these stages are not a straight progression. Someone can be in two phases at the same time.
Furthermore, if there is a trauma element to the loss, then someone may experience a trauma response or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well. Often the grief and loss and trauma responses are intertwined.
Lastly, sometimes carrying the survivor’s guilt becomes a way to honor the fallen or injured. The challenge with this then is identifying how the survivor’s guilt begins to impact the relationships with yourself and others, create challenges when trying to sleep, and the difficulties with raging emotions.
Coping Strategies for Survivor’s Guilt in the Military
There are many ways to cope with survivor’s guilt in the military. Some work better than others or are healthier than others. Find what works best for you without having negative short and long-term consequences. Here’s a list of coping strategies that can help manage the survivor guilt response.
- Maintain connection with others.
- Prioritize hobbies and values.
- Utilize physical activity and exercise.
- Limit the use of mind-altering substances. This will work briefly but long-term won’t.
- Connecting with support groups.
- Seek out professional therapy if needed.
Any coping skills used in excess may have negative short and long-term consequences.
Healing from Survivor’s Guilt
Two of the biggest challenges for military personnel struggling with survivor’s guilt are telling others about it and asking for help. The stoicism and grit the military teaches are hard to set aside when asking for help. But it can be done. You can remember the person without having challenging emotions, flashbacks, or gut-wrenching responses.
Male Therapists Near Racine, WI
Two powerful forms of therapy that can help you heal are Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy. Both forms of treatment help to heal the body first and then address the negative thoughts and emotions around guilt and shame that accompany survivor’s guilt. As these forms of therapy progress, calmness, and internal peace flood throughout the body.
Heal from Survivor’s Guilt with Therapy for Veterans
At Revitalize Mental Health PLLC, we have helped many people heal from survivor’s guilt and the trauma that surrounded the tragic experience. We offer in-person individual therapy in Kenosha, WI for those in the Southern Milwaukee area as well as online therapy services throughout the State of Wisconsin and Colorado.
Call Now to Start Healing!
We can be reached by either calling 720.295.6703 or by following this link here to submit an online form. We’ll first schedule a free 15-minute call to ensure we are a good fit to work together. If we are, then we’ll schedule our first appointment during the same call. We look forward to hearing from you!
