Feelings of guilt associated with surviving an event in which others did not, or with the circumstances of survival. In the cardiac arrest context, survivor guilt can take several forms. Survivors may feel guilty for the distress their cardiac arrest caused to those around them, for the care burden placed on a partner, or simply for having survived when statistically most people do not. Co-survivors who performed CPR may feel guilty about whether they did it correctly, did not start quickly enough, or about aspects of the resuscitation they had no control over. Co-survivors who did not perform CPR — whether through lack of knowledge, shock, or physical inability — may carry significant guilt about inaction, even when that response was entirely understandable. Survivor guilt is common and real, and it can be effectively addressed in therapy. It is important to know that blame — of oneself or others — is rarely warranted in cardiac arrest situations.
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