ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Survivor guilt

Survivor guilt is when someone feels upset and guilty for being alive after someone else has died. It's like when you go on a trip with your friends and everyone has a great time, but one of your friends can't go because they were sick. When you come back, you might feel bad because you had fun without them.

But survivor guilt is when this feeling is really strong and doesn't go away. This happens a lot to people who have been in a situation where they survived something horrible, like a war or a natural disaster. They might think that they should have died instead of someone else or that they didn't deserve to live when others didn't.

It's important to understand that survivor guilt is a normal feeling, but it can also be very hard to deal with. It's important to talk to someone about it and get help if you need it. Remember that it's not your fault that you survived, and that you can still honor the memory of those who did not by living your life in a good way.