You are doing NOTHING wrong..but perhaps you have more time..things are kind of going your way..or you just have some free time..and up pops the GUILT feeling or anxiety. Something must be wrong somewhere?? Your friend from work calls you and asks you to call her when you can... have you done something wrong?? Is something going wrong?

WHY do I feel guilty right now? I can´t think of a real reason??

Do you ever feel like this? Just wondering... maybe it´s the human condition? Part of having been into religion almost all of my life?? Or am I are just paranoid? I try laughing at myself..and I am old enough now that this DOES help but I HAD thought that I was over this..but here it comes again..WHY??

Any thoughts or similiar experiences? Anyone?!

I have that same guilt, though not as bad as it used to be. Most of my life has been spent taking care of somebody else, so now I struggle with feeling guilty if I'm doing something (even if it's doing nothing) for me. I see what's going on in the world and think I should be doing something to help, but I can't fix everything, and I have to keep telling myself that. I can do little things that may not make a big difference but do make a difference for somebody, and that's all I can do. Does that make sense?

humlan and yonuh, I definitely feel that sense of guilt that you both feel....or maybe it's a sense of dread...always worrying about everybody...I have developed such an aversion to the telephone...After my Mother died my Dad would call me 10 or more times every day...I was afraid not to answer his calls for fear that he had fallen or was in trouble of some kind...and this was not paranoia because after she died he was in 5 car accidents and lost his car keys 16 times...when we moved him to Assisted Living he would call me every hour on the hour all through the night...it was a living hell...at that point my husband discontinued our land line phone and we used our cell phones...because we knew there was staff to help him if he was in trouble....but to this day I hate the phone..and of course I feel guilty about it...my girlfriends complain that they have to email me or call my husband if they are desperate to reach me...but I can never find my cell phone..my kids say "Mom there is a method to your madness..you are hiding from bad news" but I spend all my time feeling guilty about that too...

It probably all reverts back to my Catholic upbringing...

Having had the same kind of Catholic upbringing as you did Nancy, I fully understand the guilt thing. Catholic teachings are that of guilt for this, and guilt for that or maybe it is just the way I translated their teachings. There is only one of us and it is difficult to take care of our familys, friends, and especially those taking full advantage of our kindness, and yes, guilt! Good for you dropping the land line. I now unplug my landline if not wanting to speak to anyone. NO matter who it is that might be calling there is nothing I can do anyway so later is as good and now to speak to them.

I am still not feeling myself and today I made the mistake of answering my phone and it was my son wanting to bring his new girlfriend and a male friend visiting him from Utah, over to my home Sunday for dinner. Just what I wanted (NOT!!!) company but I said okay anyway so now I have to shop so I can cook dinner. I love my son but I don't thnk he was being very considerate. Hopefully it will be a good time for everyone concerned, me as well...

I also have a Catholic upbringing..my head tells me that I am not doing anything wrong. I am NOT superwoman..in this case..I have had an operation and I have to take care of myself. I´ve been ill one way or another this past year because there has just been so much going on in my personal life. Sometimes our bodies just cry out for rest..and it´s OK!!! Now how does one make the heart believe this,too??

My partner does not suffer from all these guilt things..and sometimes I wish that I could be like him.

How do you fight these feelings so they don´t drive you crazy?? There must be SOMETHING?? Maybe gratefulness?? I don´t know They say that gratefulness helps alot..Grateful for the moment..and nothing more..nothing less..because that´s where you are..what do you think?

Chatty..how did your evening go? Usually those kind of situations can turn out ok in the end..you get some good company for awhile..or NOT! So..do tell how it turned out..if you want.

About the guilt..may be I have too much time to think right now?? Not being able to move around as usual.. you know, when you analyze too much...

And yes, Chatty..our kids sometimes don´t take us seriously. I guess they don´t SEE where we are at for the moment.My former husband had his bad stroke in August..and I have only had foot op..a routine thing..but I want some TLC too now and again. Time to continue in the fine whine forums, I guess

I shutdown my landline and cell sometimes in the evenings too. I work with kids all day and I need some peace and quiet of my own.. it´s kinda my quiet time..

I don't know that the Catholic upbringing has much to do with it. I was brought up in the Jewish faith and believe me they've really cornered the market on guilt. I think we just get so used to spending all our time doing for others and taking care of others and worrying about what others need and/or want that when we actually get 5 minutes to think about ourselves we automatically get the guilty feeling because we think we're supposed to be doing something else for someone else.

Catholic, Jewish, and Lutheran, too, believe me. My mother always told me that guilt was a good thing. LOL

I used to feel guilty and worried every time the phone rang. I think that went back to days when I was poor and missed some college loan payments.

Then for a long while I felt guilty and wary every time the boss called me to the office. I would over think everything, and I would be a mess once I reached the boss' office door.

I gave up guilt quite a while back. It stopped suiting my lifestyle. There is too much going on in my life to spend time feeling guilt.

I am WAY better about not letting guilt get to me, than I used to be. But every once in a while it still sneaks in.

I too have be come way better than to be bothered by guilt for many years now. But when my dogs both died so suddenly and mistakes were made, I found all that guilt I had left behind those many years plus 1000. I was convinced it was my fault in some way I'd lost my babies. The guilt was crippling me so I had to rethink everything and let it go. Of course it wasn't my fault, it wasn't anybodys fault, they were 13 year old dogs even thought they looked like puppies because they were so small. There were tell tale signs I didn't see. I don't think I wanted to see them.

Humlan I posted under re-defining life, Relationships about the dinner. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined. We gobbled up the Chinese/Thai food I ended up ordering and my surprise guest was none other than my grandson Jason home for a weeks furlough from the Marines. They got me good with that one. Thanks for asking...and you are right, it did turn out to be a great day.