Apathy, Anxiety, and Depression

The repressive voice of guilt in this dialogue is something of a bully. But if the diarist recognizes it and continues to work with it, she will become more and more alert to the mechanism of guilt in her life and increasingly adept at circumscribing its power. Once identified, controlled, and reeducated in the diary, the voice of guilt has the

In giving her self-criticism a voice and then distinguishing it from her own “I,” the diarist who wrote those entries has taken a first step toward exposing the masquerade of guilt. Guilt can be dealt with, put into context, made fun of, rejected, or understood—only once it is identified and made conscious.

simply change the “I” to “you,” and you will hear the exaggerated voice of a repressive parent:

The process by which guilt inhibits and punishes, and the process by which you free yourself from its repression, are mysteries that gradually unfold on the pages of the diary. But the diarist must be persistent,

The child has internalized parental authority. This form of self-punishment can be observed clearly in children’s diaries.

Guilt punishes, exaggerates, and oversimplifies. Guilt may actually function as an avoidance of responsibility because it makes you passive. Responsibility demands action.

Transforming Guilt into Responsibility

Most fear, and the anger that often stems from fear, comes from a sense of impotence, a feeling of being out of touch with your own power to create options for yourself and take care of your own needs in a situation. As a diarist you have a means of countering that sense of impotence with the power of your own creativity.