Moral Injury: How to Stop Punishing Yourself for the Past | Happiness | E549

What if the thing you’re most ashamed of isn’t proof that you’re a bad person…but proof that you care deeply about being a good one?

If there’s something you did (or didn’t do) that you still replay in your mind years later, I want you to hear this: There may be a name for what you’re carrying. Moral injury.

And no, healing it does not mean pretending it was okay.

In this episode, I’m talking with Dr. Jaimie Lusk, a board-certified psychologist, Marine Corps veteran, longtime VA clinician, and leading expert on moral injury. Together, we unpack why some experiences turn into crushing guilt and shame, and how to finally start loosening their grip.

You’ll learn:

Why guilt that won’t go away may actually be evidence of your conscience

What moral injury is and why it can leave you feeling fundamentally “bad”

The “million-dollar question” that can completely change how you see what happened

How to separate your actual responsibility from the responsibility you’ve taken on

What to say when someone you love is withdrawing under the weight of shame

Why healing isn’t about erasing the past, but about deciding what you do with it now

How to find the right kind of professional help for moral injury