Four Powerful Ways to Cope with Survivor's Guilt
- Michelle Tennant Nicholson M.A.
- May 14
- 3 min read
How to heal emotionally after a devastating natural disaster.
Acknowledge and validate your survivor's guilt; it’s a natural response to devastating events.
Taking action by volunteering, donating, or supporting other channels guilt into positive help.
Prioritize self-care, practice self-compassion, and reconnect with daily routines for emotional healing.
Seek professional help if survivor's guilt becomes overwhelming or affects your daily life and well-being.
In the aftermath of a devastating hurricane like Helene or Milton, the wreckage is not only physical—there's emotional damage, too. If you've survived while others around you have lost their homes, their livelihoods, or even their lives, you might experience a wave of conflicting emotions. I did. I survived Helene, grateful a large tree pummeled our garage instead of our bedroom. One of the most powerful and insidious emotions is survivor's guilt. It's a feeling that says, why them and not me? It’s as if, in surviving, you've inherited a burden—a deep, painful responsibility to those who didn’t make it.
Survivor’s guilt isn’t unusual, but it is deeply personal and often misunderstood. Even if you haven't been directly hurt, witnessing others’ suffering can bring the complex mix of emotions to the surface. And if you’re reading this, you might be grappling with that very guilt, wondering how to manage it.
Here are four ways to begin coping with survivor's guilt after a hurricane or other natural disaster:
Acknowledge and Validate Your Feelings
One of the first steps in addressing survivor’s guilt is acknowledging it. Your feelings are valid. You may experience emotions ranging from helplessness and sadness to shame and anger, and it's important to give yourself permission to feel them. Often, we suppress our emotions to get through the immediate crisis. Once the storm passes, we might feel as though we’re expected to just move on. However, your emotional response is just as real as any physical injury or loss.
Survivor’s guilt thrives in silence. Speaking up—whether to a therapist, loved one, or even in a journal—can help diffuse the intensity of your feelings. You don’t need to keep it all inside. The guilt has its source in empathy. You care about others, and feeling guilty is part of human compassion. Recognize that your survival is not something to be ashamed of.
One helpful exercise is to label the emotions as they come. The act of naming the feelings out loud or writing them down can reduce their overwhelming weight.
Take Action to Help Others
One of the most powerful antidotes to guilt is action. While you can't change the fact that you survived, you can contribute to the healing process of others. Helping your community in the aftermath of a hurricane can provide a sense of purpose, which can begin to ease survivor’s guilt. Personally, I immediately got into action volunteering to raise money for a group of artists who lost their studios, their art supplies, and their livelihoods for the foreseeable future.
There are many ways to get involved, from volunteering with local organizations to donating supplies. Sometimes, just being there for others—whether family, friends, or even strangers—can make an enormous impact. Listening and validating the emotions of those who suffered major losses can be just as valuable as any material support.
Focus on Healing Yourself, Too
Survivor's guilt can lead to neglecting your own needs because you feel others are more deserving of help. But your pain, even if less visible, still matters. Healing yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. You can give back to others only when you’ve taken steps to care for yourself.
Practice self-compassion and reconnect with small routines. Seek professional support if your guilt becomes overwhelming or affects your daily life. Therapy can offer tools for processing your emotions and finding ways to cope effectively.
Reconnect with Routine
After a disaster, your normal life is often upended. One way to regain your footing is by reestablishing small routines—whether it’s going for a morning walk, making a cup of tea, or spending quiet time meditating. Routines help ground you and remind you that life, while changed, continues.
A Final Thought: Your Survival Is Not a Burden
Survivor’s guilt can make it hard to see your survival as a gift, but by helping others and caring for yourself, you can begin to shift from guilt to gratitude. You don’t have to cope alone. Healing is a community effort, and, together, we can weather any storm.
