# data[].attributes.body
At the moment of his death there are two identifiable causes Dimmesdale's torment and Chillingworth guilt. One alone could not have caused the same result. His neglect and avoidance caused him to seek empty and harmful coping mechanisms that in turn theft him vulnerable to Dimmesdale. It is unsure if Chillingworth would have still died at the scaffolding id Dimmesdale had left him alone but it is undeniable the impact of his poisonous guilt.

# data[].attributes.body
His guilt is one that he becomes increasingly hypervigilant to conceal. The burden is so internalized that it continues to impact his life because it is all he can think about. This causes a slightly altered view on the world

# data[].attributes.body
Chillingworth develops a type of chronic shame capable of reshaping his personality as it seems the man Hester fell in love with and the one on the scaffold are polar opposites. This guilt digs its way into the crevices of his being and as we have seen changed him into a weaker character.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Health-related shame: an affective determinant of health?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite shame being recognised as a powerful force in the clinical encounter, it is underacknowledged, under-researched and undertheorised in the contexts of health and medicine. In this paper we make two claims. The first is that emotional or affective states, in particular shame, can have a significant impact on health, illness and health-related behaviours.

# data[].attributes.body
Chillingworth is happy to seemingly destroy his life for any sense of false security weather through harming himself or acute avoidance of the only person capable of understanding him. Instead he creates a shallow scarlet letter of his own which inevitable causes him to collapse.

# data[].attributes.body
The chronic guilt he carry leaves him incredible vulnerable, eventually leading him to this husk of a man on the scaffolding. We can see the guilt physically effecting him in the repeated motion of holding his hand over his heart.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Guilt is a feeling people typically have after doing something wrong, intentionally or accidentally. A person's sense of guilt usually relates to their moral code.

Guilt isn't necessarily bad. Sometimes it's even productive. Feeling bad after making a mistake can lead to change, such as an apology or a decision to make different choices in the future. A "guilty pleasure" can describe something harmless a person enjoys even if they feel they shouldn't or are embarrassed about their tastes.

But guilt is sometimes unhelpful. It can cause physical symptoms, self-doubt, decreased self-esteem, and shame. It can be difficult to overcome these feelings, especially in the case of chronic guilt. But it is possible, especially with help.

If you are struggling with feelings of guilt, contact a qualified counselor who can help you get to the root of these feelings, understand why they persist, and help you address them. Doing so can help prevent them from affecting you negatively.

What Is Guilt?

It isn't always easy to understand what guilt is. In fact, guilt and shame are often confused with each other, though they're distinct emotions. Guilt describes a sense of regret or responsibility that relates to actions taken. People may feel guilt over things they actually did wrong, things they believe were their fault, or things they had no responsibility for. Survivor's guilt, for example, can affect people who survived tragedies when many others died.

People tend to only feel guilty over actions they see as "bad" or "wrong." A person who believes they are entitled to a higher wage may steal small amounts of money from their boss without ever feeling guilty. But a person who finds a wallet and keeps the money inside without making any effort to find the owner may feel guilty for months or even years, if they believe the "right" thing to do would have been to turn in the wallet.

Some people experience chronic guilt, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy. This type of guilt can lead to destructive actions instead of positive change. People might also manipulate others with what's known as a "guilt trip" by using a person's guilty feelings as a tool to them to do what they want.

Someone who feels guilty about something they did might take steps to correct their mistake, apologize, or otherwise make amends. This usually causes feelings of guilt to decrease.

But shame, which describes a regret or sense of responsibility that relates to the self, can be more difficult to address. It's not always easy to reduce feelings of shame, especially shame that isn't fully understood. People sometimes feel ashamed of some part of themselves without knowing why. A person might also feel shame when other people know about actions they feel guilty over.

Shame can cause people to feel unworthy or somehow inadequate. It may lead to isolation, acts of self-punishment, or other potentially harmful behaviors.

Guilt Psychology

Guilt is a conditioned emotion. In other words, people are conditioned (they learn) to feel guilty. Certain factors may make it more likely a person experiences chronic or excessive guilt. These factors might include their culture, family, or religious upbringing. If parents consistently make a child feel guilty or consistently withhold praise, for example, the child may come to feel that nothing they do is ever good enough. This can lead to a guilt complex.

People who struggle to overcome feelings of chronic guilt may have a higher risk for depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. People who have mental health issues may, in turn, become overwhelmed by guilty feelings about their mental state or related behaviors. A person with depression who self-isolates may feel guilty for shutting out their friends but be unable to help doing so, for example.

Guilt that relates to past mistakes or failures can set a person up for continued struggles. Sometimes, guilt can also keep a person from having fulfilling relationships with others.

Types of Guilt

Research connecting guilt and psychology doesn't always agree. Some studies have found that guilt may help protect people from emotional distress. Others suggest guilt, especially excessive guilt, contributes to emotional and mental distress.

In general, there are three different types of guilt.

Some researchers further divide guilt into two categories. These categories can be considered separately from the above types of guilt.

A number of sources can contribute to guilt.
Family
A child generally learns about "right" and "wrong" from family members, especially parents. When a child misbehaves, parents will usually express disappointment and issue a consequence. Knowing their parent is disappointed may trigger feelings of regret. The child may want to do whatever they can to win back approval from their parents.
Culture
When a person's culture holds that a certain behavior is wrong, a person may feel guilty even if their own moral code tells them there is nothing wrong with the behavior. An unmarried person brought up in a culture that discourages sexual relationships outside of marriage may feel guilty when they have sex, even if they believe it's perfectly fine to have sex without being married.

A guilt culture emphasizes the effects of a person's behavior on others and connects this to how that person is viewed by others. When a person's actions cause others harm or distress, that person loses societal respect, or "face." Until they make amends, they are often seen as "disgraced" in the eyes of society. In guilt cultures, fixing the mistake, apologizing, and/or somehow making amends can repair the damage.
Religious Beliefs
Some religious traditions emphasize guilt more than others. If a person's actions aren't in line with the teachings of the religion, guilt often stems from their belief that a divine power knows their actions and holds them accountable. This often drives a person to confess their wrongs, repent (an action within the self), and do something to fix the wrong.

The idea of a "guilty conscience," or an internal voice that tells someone when they've done wrong, is not strictly religious, but it is often part of religious traditions. A person who feels guilty may be urged by this internal voice to somehow fix their mistake.
Society
Guilt can result from worrying what other people will think about certain beliefs or behavior. In this way, society can have a big impact on a person's sense of guilt. Knowing that other people may see and judge actions can affect a person's choices. This guilt can be a good thing, as it supports the social norms or moral rules people generally follow, such as "It's wrong to steal" or "If I hit someone's parked car, I should leave a note with my phone number and name."

Effects of Guilt

The psychological effects of guilt can be beneficial when they inspire a person to make changes in their behavior. But at other times they can cause distress. Research has shown that guilt and depression are often linked, for example. Research also suggests that anxiety, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), can be related to feelings of guilt or shame.

When a person can't fix a mistake, guilt can persist until they have the chance to make amends. Guilt resulting from an action that can't be repaired, such as when a person feels they indirectly caused another's death, can have a lasting, negative impact on life. Therapy can often help a person address these emotions and reframe their feelings about what happened.

Another effect of guilt is a guilt complex. This is persistent guilt over harm a person believes they have caused. They may not have done anything wrong, but they live in fear they will, or believe they are always making mistakes and "can't do anything right." A guilt complex can be associated with anxiety and shame. It may relate to a person's childhood: When parents are overly disapproving or withhold praise, children may frequently feel guilty for what they see as their "badness."

Physical Symptoms of Guilt

People with unresolved guilt might feel irritable or always on edge. They may be overly clingy or apologetic.

Feelings of guilt also often manifest as physical symptoms. These might include:

Insomnia or trouble sleeping

An upset stomach, nausea, or other digestive issues

Stomach pain

Muscle tension

Head pain

Tearfulness

Generally, addressing the guilt will help resolve these symptoms.
References:

1. Belden, A. C., Barch, D. M., & Oakberg, T. J. (2015). Anterior insula volume and guilt: Neurobehavioral markers of recurrence after early childhood major depressive disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 72(1). Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/1935483

2. Brown, B. (2013, January 14). Shame v. guilt. Retrieved from https://brenebrown.com/blog/2013/01/14/shame-v-guilt

3. Holloway, J. D. (2005). Guilt can do good. Monitor on Psychology, 36(10). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/monitor/nov05/guilt.aspx

4. Huhmann, B. A., & Brotherton, T. P. (2013, May 31). A content analysis of guilt appeals in popular magazine advertisements. Journal of Advertising, 26(2). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00913367.1997.10673521

5. Peterson, T. J. (2016, July 7). Guilt: A distressing effect of anxiety. Retrieved from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/anxiety-schmanxiety/2016/07/guilt-a-distressing-effect-of-anxiety

6. Schafler, K. (n.d.). The difference between guilt and shame. Retrieved from https://www.katherineschafler.com/blog/the-difference-between-guilt-and-shame

7. Tilghman-Osborne, C., Cole, D. A., & Felton, J. W. (2014, August 3). Definition and measurement of guilt: Implications for clinical research and practice. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(5). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119878/

8. Understanding guilt. (n.d.). Mental Illness Fellowship Australia. Retrieved from http://www.sharc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Understanding-guilt-Wellways.pdf

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guilt is a feeling people typically have after doing something wrong, intentionally or accidentally. A person's sense of guilt usually relates to their moral code. Guilt isn't necessarily bad. Sometimes it's even productive. Feeling bad after making a mistake can lead to change, such as an apology or a decision to make different choices in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
We see Chillingworth fall back on self harm time and time again because he cant bring himself to deal with the problem. The weight of it bogs him down so it creates a sense of releife that he relies on. It becomes part of his normal to lift his emotions for a short time. He never manages to find constructive ways to cope leading to his demise as harmful habits form.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Guilt is a common feeling of emotional distress that signals us when our actions or inactions have caused or might cause harm to another person-physical, emotional, or otherwise. Because guilt typically occurs in "micro-bursts" of brief signals, we often underestimate the rather significant role it plays in our daily lives. Therefore, you might be surprised to learn the following facts about guilt:

1. Guilt protects our relationships. Guilt occurs primarily in interpersonal contexts and is considered a "pro-social" emotion because it helps you maintain good relations with others. In essence, guilt is like a signal that keeps going off in your head until you take the appropriate action ("It's Mother's Day; I must remember to call mom!"). Each signal might be brief but taken together they can add up such that...

2. We experience 5 hours a week of guilty feelings. One study found that if you add up all the moments you spend feeling mildly or moderately guilty, it adds up to a pretty significant chunk of time. This is especially important because while guilt can be useful in small doses...

3. Unresolved guilt is like having a snooze alarm in your head that won't shut off. If you had a snooze alarm that never shut off it would be hard to concentrate, as your attention would be constantly hogged by bursts of guilty feelings. Indeed, it is not uncommon for guilt to persist over lengthy periods of time. Having unresolved guilt can have an extremely detrimental effect because...

4. Guilty feelings make it difficult to think straight. When guilty feelings compete for your attention with the demands of work, school, and life in general, guilt usually wins. Studies have found that concentration, productivity, creativity, and efficiency are all significantly lower when you're feeling actively guilty. It's not only that guilt makes it hard to function, but...

5. Guilt makes us reluctant to enjoy life. Even mild guilt can make you hesitant to embrace the joys of life. In one study, college students were made to feel guilty and then given a choice of free items they could get for their participation. Students who were not made to feel guilty chose movie DVDs and music downloads while guilty students chose school supplies. Again, these students only felt mild guilt. Guilty feelings might make you choose to skip a party, not celebrate your birthday, or mope around during your vacation without being able to enjoy it. But for some people, guilt can do even worse damage:

6. Guilt can make you self-punish. The Dobby Effect-a phenomenon named after the head-banging elf in the Harry Potter books-refers to a psychological tendency for people to employ self-punishment to ward off feelings of guilt. In one study, students who were made to feel guilty by depriving another student of lottery tickets (worth only a few dollars) were actually willing to give themselves electric shocks to signal their remorse. However, it's not always ourselves we punish when we feel guilty...

7. Guilt can make you avoid the person you've wronged. Even though you might have already caused someone harm, you might unwittingly make matters worse by distancing yourself from that person because of the guilt you feel around them. This tendency to avoid reminders of guilt can even extend to more distantly related people and to locations and things ("That's the restaurant where I had that awful breakup talk with my ex, so I never go there anymore"). This tendency to avoid the people who make you feel guilty also applies when you're the subject of...

8. Guilt trips make you feel guilty but also resentful. People who give guilt trips to others do so in order to control or manipulate their behavior, but they rarely consider the amount of resentment the guilt trip provokes in the other person. So while saying, "You never call me!" might get a person to call you in that moment, it will also make them less likely to want to call you in the future. This is why guilt trips are more harmful to relationships than most guilt-trippers realize. However, some people don't need a guilt trip...

9. Guilt-prone people assume they've harmed others when they haven't. When your trigger for feeling guilty feelings is set too low, your guilt alarm goes off when it shouldn't. As a result, you end up feeling guilty about impacting others adversely, when you actually haven't. This is no minor issue; by over-interpreting people's disapproval when it's not there, you're exposing yourself to constant and unnecessary stress and impacting your own quality of life. Indeed, guilt is a "burden" in more ways than we imagine...

10. Guilty feelings make you feel literally heavier and more belabored. Studies found that feeling guilty makes people assess their weight as being significantly heavier than it actually is, and physical activities as requiring significantly more effort, than non-guilty people do.

What can you do to address unresolved guilt? One of the best ways to resolve guilty feelings is to offer effective apologies. It sounds simple, but if you think you know how to apologize effectively, you are likely wrong. See "The 5 Ingredients of an Effective Apology"; you probably miss at least 2 of them when you apologize. And for science-based tips for managing guilt, check out Check out my TED Talk and learn how to boost your Psychological Health Sign up for my email list Visit my website and follow me on Twitter @GuyWinch Emotional First Aid: Healing Rejection, Guilt, Failure and Other Everyday Hurts (Plume, 2014).
You might also enjoy:

Copyright 2014 Guy Winch

Images by freedigitalphotos.net

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guilt is a common feeling of emotional distress that signals us when our actions or inactions have caused or might cause harm to another person-physical, emotional, or otherwise. Because guilt typically occurs in "micro-bursts" of brief signals, we often underestimate the rather significant role it plays in our daily lives.

# data[].attributes.body
For Chillingworth it is not just a matter of public judgment but that of his own moral deviation from this sin. This leads him to create ways of managing his guilt that have terrible repercussions.

# data[].attributes.body
The guilt that piles on blinds him to his own hypocrisy that when he says he loves Hester and pearls but will not associate with them in public. He can  fully connect that this avoidance is directly in effect of the building fear and emotions he is experience but is too busy avoiding the prospect that he does not consider the toll it takes on Hester and her daughter.