Here are some of the causes of guilt and coping strategies to help you let it go, recognize where it's coming from, and start living with greater self-compassion and grace.

Recognizing Maladaptive Guilt

Feeling guilty can be helpful in some situations, such as providing motivation to stop or change harmful behaviors or mistakes that harm you or others. However, if you repeatedly feel guilty, it can become a constant, negative state of being. When this happens, it's considered maladaptive—meaning it doesn't help.

Psychologists use the term maladaptive guilt to differentiate from normal guilt that stems from wrongdoing. Some signs of maladaptive guilt can include:

• Persistent guilt: Feeling guilty constantly, even after taking steps to correct a mistake.
• Guilt without a clear cause: If guilt arises without a clear reason, it may be linked to anxiety or cognitive distortions.
• Excessive guilt over minor issues: Feeling overwhelming guilt for small mistakes.
• Taking responsibility for uncontrollable factors: Feeling guilty about patient outcomes or other circumstances beyond your control.
• Paralysis and inaction: When guilt becomes immobilizing rather than motivating, it can hinder professional growth and overall well-being.

Identifying the Root Causes of Guilt

If you identify with any of the previously mentioned signs, then you might be struggling with maladaptive guilt. While that may seem frustrating or scary, it's helpful to know what you're dealing with, because now, you can take action to resolve the guilty feelings hindering you.

One aspect of taking action is to understand what could be at the root of your guilty tendencies. Understanding the root causes behind your guilt can provide clarity. Take a look at these possible causes of maladaptive guilt to see if they resonate:

• Internalized childhood manipulation or trauma: Early experiences of guilt or low self-esteem often shape professional attitudes and behaviors. If you were conditioned to feel like you were a bad kid or a burden, or if you have other baggage from your childhood, it may manifest as frequently feeling guilty.
• Intrusive thoughts: Recurrent negative thoughts—also called intrusive thoughts—or obsessions can lead to unwanted behaviors or compulsions, contributing to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). These intrusive thoughts or obsessions can be brought on by excessive guilt. In veterinary practice, OCD-related guilt may stem from intrusive thoughts or obsessive revisiting of past mistakes, which can impede effective decision-making in the current moment.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder: Veterinary professionals may experience guilt associated with traumatic events.
• Depression: Chronic guilt intertwined with feelings of worthlessness may indicate underlying depression.

All of these root causes are best addressed with the help of a compassionate mental health professional.

Strategies for Letting Go of Veterinary Guilt

Once you recognize you have excessive guilt and what the root cause of this guilt may be, you can work on releasing this guilt. The first step is realizing you deserve to live a life filled with positivity. Give yourself time and permission to heal—and recognize healing doesn't happen overnight and everyone moves at their own pace—then, try some of these strategies:

Identify Triggers

Recognize situations that consistently make you experience guilt. Determine whether you hold genuine responsibility for the situation or if the guilt stems from factors beyond your control.

Cultivate Self-Awareness

Think about situations where you dwell on what you "should have" or "could have" done differently. Assess whether these thoughts align with your personal beliefs and values or if they are influenced by external expectations from society, family, or peers.

Express Emotions

Acknowledge and vocalize feelings of guilt within a supportive environment to alleviate emotional burdens and promote healing.

Rational Reflection

Examine guilt-inducing situations objectively to challenge irrational thoughts and cultivate self-compassion.

Make Amends

Take proactive steps to address past mistakes or mend relationships, allowing yourself to find closure.

Journaling

Try writing about your thoughts and emotions to enhance self-awareness, helping you identify patterns and triggers that may contribute to maladaptive guilt.

Open Communication

If your guilt arises from actions or perceived wrongdoings toward others, consider initiating an open and honest conversation with the person involved. Expressing your feelings and seeking resolution can alleviate the burden of guilt. Alternatively, share with a trusted friend or therapist who can offer perspective and support.

Practice Self-Compassion

Understand that being harsh or critical toward yourself cannot alter the past. Prioritize self-compassion as a survival strategy. Acknowledge that making mistakes is a universal aspect of the human experience. Also, remember that it's called veterinary practice and not veterinary perfect for a reason.

Learn and Grow

Embrace a mindset of growth and resilience by viewing mistakes as opportunities for learning and personal development. Avoid repeating mistakes, gain wisdom, gain awareness, and raise your emotional intelligence.

Get Professional Support

Managing everything you need to handle on a day-to-day basis and within the practice is challenging. Find a trusted therapist who can provide support and be a resource for you.

The Bottom Line About Guilt

Give yourself a break! Remember:

• Guilt often stems from deeply ingrained societal expectations and your past experiences.
• You can only do what you can do, and your ability to do changes based on thousands of factors every day.
• You're a perfectly imperfect human being; you're doing the best you can, and it is enough.

While guilt may serve as a natural response to challenging situations in veterinary practice, persistent and overwhelming guilt is unnecessary and damaging. By recognizing maladaptive guilt, implementing effective coping strategies, and getting professional help when you need it, you can cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and overall well-being in your life.