Is it normal in depression....?
is it normal to have constant guilty thoughts? like irrational ones?
every time i have a guilty thought, and i find a way to resolve it, a new one pops into my head. One that seems more dramatic and devastating, and usually involving my relationship since it's the only thing i really have at the moment. but because of the guilt, it convinces me it could be true. so usually i act on it, only to find it wasn't.
it's got me all jumbled. and clearly confused about how i feel. it this yet another part of depression?
I can honestly say i have nothing to truly feel guilty for. however shocking and false it sounds. yet my thoughts make me think i do. no matter how silly and irrational they are.no matter how hard i try, i can't think happy, positive thoughts. i might just be going insane lol
Hi Caroline,
The sad thing is that depression itself seems to becoming a 'normal' aspect of life. In itself however, depression is a disease, and the irrational guilty thoughts you are experiencing are typical of depression. In that sense, what you are experiencing is perfectly normal.
Depression is characterized by black-and-white thinking. Most thinking tends to be negative and there is a general lack of optimism in how you think about things. Some psychologists argue that depression is a disorder of thinking rather than a disorder of mood and for this reason they employ cognitive (thinking based) therapies, which can actually be very effective.
This article provides a good overview of the symptoms of depression. You will see that your own symptoms of guilty thoughts are listed on page 2! I do hope you are receiving treatment for your depression? There's nothing to be gained from suffering in silence.
Best wishes
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Hey Caroline
I just wanted to chime in and say that I have these thoughts too. You are definitely not alone in this. I am a regular guilt magnet. Whatever is wrong...I feel it is always my fault. I think that this is a part of the depression because when I am feeling well I have less of these types of thoughts.
What I speculate happens is...we have this chemical imbalance which causes us to feel bad about ourselves and then we go looking for reasons. And if you look hard enough you can easily invent reasons for why we feel bad including taking on unecessary guilt. The other part of this for me is to obsess and replay conversations in my head...focusing on how I have said the wrong things.
Logic sometimes helps me...to have someone sit down with me like a therapist and go through scenarios together. You usually find that your thinking was a bit muddled.
Some folk find that a combination of talk therapy and medication can help with this.
Thank you for asking this question. You are not alone in this!
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thanks alot for the responses :)
i went to see the doctor today, who has given me anti depressants. I talked over alot of my thoughts with her, and she said it was completely 'normal' which is good to hear, even if it's going to take my brain a while to think so.
it's always comforting to know others have the same things, and i know how silly and irrational some of those thoughts can truly seem when spoken through with someone.
*sigh* aaah to be human.
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