Dealing with Survivor's Guilt

After having been sheltered from pain by shock, it is normal to not only feel pain but also guilt. Medical professionals call it “survivor’s guilt”. This is the guilt you feel when you survive disaster while  others do not, or that you suffered less than others.  It is the feeling you don’t deserve to survive. Or, worse yet, you think you did something wrong by surviving. It is recognized as a symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

During this stage, it is normal to wonder if you could have done something that would have prevented the loss. It is normal to think about something you could have or should have done, even if it's irrational. 

You should not feel guilty because what happened to you was God’s decision. Read these verses carefully. 
You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. (Psalm 139:16, NLT)

You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer. Job 14:5

God cares for you. God has a purpose for the remainder of the days given to you. Any guilt you feel about surviving is false guilt.
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