survivor guilt

noun

Psychiatry.

survivor guilt

A deep sense of guilt, combined often with feelings of numbness and loss of interest in life, felt by those who have survived some catastrophe. It was first noticed among survivors of the Holocaust. Survivors often feel that they did not do enough to save those who died or that they are unworthy relative to the perished.

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First recorded in 1970–75

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Examples have not been reviewed.

An austere, pained drama about postwar trauma and survivor guilt, “The Return” reduces ancient myth to its psychological studs.

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She declared she has “survivor sorrow, not survivor guilt” because she didn’t do anything wrong.

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In the decades that followed, David suffered from long-term leg injuries and survivor guilt, but managed to build a new life.

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“Sometimes survivor guilt can be about taking on more responsibility than is appropriate.”

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“The thing is, I feel survivor guilt,” said Fayyad, sitting behind his movie’s subject.

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