Healthy guilt is time-limited and proportional to the offense.  When you break the laws that govern the moral universe, you should feel guilty.  God put the capacity for guilt in your heart as an alarm to prevent you from making tragic mistakes.  God designed guilt to help you stay on course as you move in the direction of your dreams.  He didn’t mean for guilt to be an instrument of self-destruction.

Guilt is unhealthy when it’s not time-limited and it’s out of proportion to the magnitude of the offense.  Depression often has a strong component of guilt.  People who feel guilty need to look at their watch and get out their calculator to see if their guilt passes the test.  If they have an all-pervading sense of guilt that goes on endlessly, their guilt is unhealthy. If they stub their toe on moral molehills and end up with a mountain of guilt, then their guilt is clearly out of proportion to their offenses. They need to have professional help to restore wholeness to their heart and mind.

People overwhelmed by guilt need the assistance of competent counselors who can help them regain a positive perspective and put guilt in its proper place.  Guilty people often try to treat themselves, and too often, they fail in their attempt at self-help.  Guilt is a condition that truly benefits from a second opinion by an objective third party.  Good physicians get second opinions all the time, and they are glad to get them.  If you are having a problem with guilt, a second opinion will probably turn your life around.

Whenever you feel guilty, your watch and calculator can be your best friends.  If your guilt doesn’t pass the watch and calculator test, it’s time for a second opinion.

Excerpt from :

Zero Tolerance To Negative Thinking : Good-by Depression - Hello Positive Mind

David J Abbott M.D.