Does Anyone Else Feel Guilty All The Time?

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I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt about everything. Most of my guilt is related to work. For instance, my boss recognized my sense of guilt, and tried manipulating me to do things that were neither good for myself or for our company. I got sick of this manipulation, and quit last week.

I feel guilt before fear of unemployment because I will not be productive. I know I am marketable, and my finances can carry me through for some time. I just feel bad because I am not making any money, and becoming a net leech to society.

Work is not the only thing I feel guilty about. I feel very guilty about spending money on anything. With the exception of a few drinks and some cigars, I own nothing I feel won't help me make money. I don't own a TV (which I decided is a decadent luxury), a car (I don't need one here), or much eles for my entertainment. The Internet and several library books are my primary source of entertainment.

I also feel guilty and ashamed about my autism. I don't know why. Maybe I just believe I should never use it as an excuse for anything. I am determined to be successful in life, and believe labels like this can hold one back.

I am starting to realize guilt is holding me back, too. Not only is it robbing me of enjoyment, but people pick up on it and manipulate me with it.

So does anyone else have this same problem?

I was just talking about this. I feel guilty about everything.

Yes i feel guilt all the time like i am not a good enough Mom, that i don't do enough now matter how much i do it isn't good enough and i feel guilt.

I used to feel guilty about everything. I felt responsible for the moods of my family members and compulsively asked them if they were angry with me, which they never were, but I always felt like it was my fault if they were upset about something. I am quick to point out that they neither said nor did anything to make me feel that way; it was simply a manifestation of my own insecurities and low self-esteem.

When my grandmother died of anorexia and bulimia when I was 11 years old, I felt very guilty about it for a few weeks afterwards. Logically I knew that her death was not anyone's fault, but I still felt bad about it for some reason. From what I understand, people always seem to have irrational feelings and behavior after someone they know dies, so I'm sure I can just chalk it up to that.

I use to feel guilty about a lot of stuff, but the apathy has more or less taken care of that.

I'm glad I'm not alone.

I feel guilty about my unfinished projects, when I don't do something I planned to do or supposed to do (that executive dysfunction thing), not satisfying my parents (their efforts to bring me up vent in vain, I still can't stand on my feet without help, no descendants as yet). I feel guilty that I haven't had a girlfriend for many years, and I haven't tried hard enough to have one, not doing my work properly, I'm always distracted like typing here right in this moment. Long time ago I did some nasty things to our first dog in the family, after his death, which had no connection to the things I had done, I still feel guilty.

I feel better using public transportation or cycling than driving my car when I'm in the city.

I felt alot of guilt about everything while I was younger. I attributed it to my poor self esteem. Or maybe it was the cause of it. I still have guilt about spending money - but,to an extent that is entirely justified. I still feel guilt about not doing all I can to live 'green'. I've been working on it for 20 years and I'm nowhere near as earth friendly as I feel I should be. Many times I would assume guilt where it wasn't mine to assume. I have learned to place blame where it belongs and, to try and eliminate 'blame' altogether. Responsibility is a more useful and approriate word. Mistakes happen - and everyone makes them. Blame is a toxic concept that helps no one just as guilt is.

YES! I don't know if it has anything to do with autism. I have felt guilty my whole life, but I thought it was the way I was raised/trauma, bad relationships after I was grown etc.

Maybe we have some irrational increased sense of responsibility?

...lined up perfectly as a confession... There is more, of course.

Individuals with Asperger syndrome are at increased risk for mental health problems compared with the general population, especially with regard to mood and anxiety disorders. Generic mental health services are often ill-equipped to offer psychotherapeutic treatments to this population, and specialized supports are difficult to find.


Guilt is a sign of depression. This might be a "chicken or the egg" situation.

I feel obligated to the world myself, I constantly worry about the people and animals. I watch carefuly not to step on the worms that gets out after the rain (when I was younger I would "rescue" them). I would also get very upset if I didn't get the As.
Eventually I went to high school with super smart kids that showed me how limited my capabilities are. This made me realize that my impact is minimal and that is normal (even much more capable people can not change the things).
Another thing that helped me is witnessing historic events where good ideas turned terribly wrong.

I used to feel I was letting myself and everyone else down almost all the time. Yet I was never sufficiently motivated to do much of anything about it, which was just another reason to feel guilty. Eventually I realized that the point of guilt, if any, is to give you the energy to change. If you can't or won't take advantage of that, guilt is a complete waste of time. If changing yourself won't change the situation, which is very often the case, guilt is a complete waste of time, also. In fact, there are two things to do with guilt: (1) use the energy to remedy the situation; or (2) let it go. I now do both things, and it's a relief to know that I can sometimes turn guilt into positive action, but much more often I just let it go.

I've had a guilty conscience ever since I was a little girl. A lot of it had to do with the way I was raised, & my parents were quick to blame me for all kinds of stuff. It didn't take long before I started apologizing to them for being born. They didn't bring me into the world...I was more or less a purchase. That's what they often told me when they were mad at me about something. I guess after all the time & money spent to get me, they realized I was not what they wanted in a child. So they did a good job of making me feel bad for their mistake, & manipulated me into accepting 100% of the responsibility. I guess it made them feel better because it let them off the hook.

I like that. And I'd add to that, moderate action. Make a moderate change, see how it goes, and then possibly consider another moderate change and see how it feels.

I do have social anxiety, but a combination of medication and exposure to people make this a non-issue nowadays. I wonder sometimes if I'm depressed, but I have no frame of reference to measure depression against. For one, I can't recall a time when I felt "happy." Then again, maybe I've felt happiness before, and just didn't get carried away in that emotion like some people do.

I'm taking a little vacation from life. I'll just sit on my ass and meditate, and try not to do anything serious. I know that sounds like I'm a slacker, but they do have something going on: a lot genuinely have fewer cares. I envy them for that.