Guilt Vs. Regret<\/p>\n
Dictionary.com definitions:<\/p>\n
Guilt: a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong,etc., whether real or imagined.<\/p>\n
Regret: to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.)<\/p>\n
Many of us struggle with survivors guilt in the wake of a loss of a brother or sister in arms. We may question ourselves, our actions, or our lack of actions. This can manifest it’s way into depression if not addressed.<\/p>\n
So let’s address it shall we?<\/p>\n
Personally, I struggle with guilt all the time. I compulsively and constantly apologize. I’m at times ashamed of myself and my actions and this can quickly evolve into self loathing and a lot more pain and depression than it’s worth, or the actual guilt should cause.<\/p>\n
One of the ways I’ve been able to assuage my guilt is to consciously categorize it as regret. I’m regretful of my decisions and lack of action in specific situations. What if I had spoke up and cautioned an EOD tech about a secondary power source and victim operated switch being inside a command wire IED? What if I reminded him that we’ve ran a few hoax calls in the last few weeks and the enemy is watching us at all times? Would he and Doc still be alive? What if I was there that day on call and not my roommate through training and an all around great role model to me? What if I had been tougher and not been at a doctor’s appointment in the green zone instead of in Ramadi with my team? Would his career not have ended prematurely because of his wounds? Mine did anyway, might as well have been on that day… I digress.<\/p>\n
I can sit here and allow this guilt to manifest into depression or I can turn it into regret. I can allow myself to be guilty; if and only if, I fail to modify my behavior. If insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result then why should I allow myself to become depressed because of guilt? Those guys don’t want me to feel guilty. They knew what they were doing and I’m creating this shit myself and letting it drag me down. I can be regretful instead.<\/p>\n
More to follow. -Kilo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"