Guilt! A powerful emotion! A frequently felt one as well.
It can be so devastating to a person's life.
We all watched the film with Matt Damon and Robin Williams - Anyone remember the name? The moment where Robin Williams makes Matt aware that it was not his fault was so potent! At some point in our lives, we too may have have felt this way.
We feel completely responsible for something and we cannot shake the guilt that we have failed in some way.
Most of us try to pretend we do not feel it but then we shut down some of our feelings, our emotions as we struggle to not feel them.
Others of us know we feel guilty and we just plod along from day to day feeling that way.
This too stifles creativity as we spend a lot of time putting ourselves down.
How can we deal with guilt? Because surely you can see, it is a hindrance to living a full life.
These are my ideas:-

1. First, you need to figure out what on earth you feel guilty about! - Really dig deep.
   Spend some time with yourself and your inner voice, just ask questions and then ask some more and then some more until you really know, really know exactly what it is that makes you feel guilty.
   
2. Ok, so now you have this information, is it justified? Do you actually have something to feel guilty about or has it always been a vague sense of guilt that you now realise is in fact not your fault.
   Talk it over with a trusted friend if you are unsure.
   
3. Is there anything you can do to assuage your guilt? Should you be making amends for something?
4. Ok, before you get the amending bit, think of the party on the receiving end.
   Do they need to know whatever it is that you are about to expose? Will it help or hinder their life? Really think this through and maybe chat it through with someone you trust.
   Do not set yourself up for more guilt by starting another cascade.
   
5. OK, if you are certain that this step is fine then get on with it.
   Have a chat with the offended party, regain the relationship, really spend time doing whatever is necessary to regain the trust between the two of you.
   Parents, are you estranged from your child, then just sit with them until they open up to you.
   Apologize first to help start the melting process.
   
6. Now, what have you learnt? What behaviours are not helpful? Spend some time assessing any change that may be required from you to prevent a repeat of the original event.
   

Now the above steps work when you actually have a reason to feel guilty.
However, there are times when your guilt is just vague and actually does not have any basis in fact.
Sometimes, your emotions are leading you down the wrong trail.
The first two steps in this case would be very relevant to you but there really are no amends to be made, except to yourself for putting up with the feeling for too long.
Guilt is an emotion that can affect many aspects of a person's emotional wellbeing.
I hope the above has helped in a small way to affect the way you deal with it.