126. Survivor Guilt

The true crime genre at times seems to be an endless stream of tragic victims’ stories. In this episode, the docs focus on the lesser known phenomenon of “Survivor Guilt”. The friends, family and peers that survive horrific situations, when their loved ones do not, are also subject to significant emotional distress. The docs review several recent cases that resulted in survivor guilt as well as provide you with an understanding of how the syndrome is diagnosed and treated.

Resources

• “CNN Films: Sole Survivor.” CNN, www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/us/cnn-films-sole-survivor/index.html. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.

• Murray, Hannah, et al. “Survivor Guilt: A Cognitive Approach.” The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, vol. 14, no. 14, 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7611691/, 10.1017/s1754470x21000246. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

• News, A. B. C. “Idaho College Murders: Timeline of Events.” ABC News, 18 Jan. 2023, abcnews.go.com/US/idaho-college-murders-timeline-events/story?id=93575278. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

• Psychology Today. “Guilt | Psychology Today.” Psychology Today, 2019, www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/guilt. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

• Sebastian, Rebekah. Kathy Kleiner Ted Bundy Survivor. DieAlogue, 11 Feb. 2021, disc S2 EP 23. Podcast.

• State of Idaho. Statement of Brett Payne (Affidavit). 29 Dec. 2022, coi.isc.idaho.gov/docs/case/CR29-22-2805/122922%20Affidavit%20-%20Exhibit%20A%20-%20Statement%20of%20Brett%20Payne.pdf. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

• Telfer, Tori. “Ted Bundy’s Living Victim Tells Her Story.” Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/ted-bundy-kathy-kleiner-living-victim-serial-killer-784780/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2023.