Home > Specializations > Moral Injury

Moral Injury

Moral injury occurs when damage is done to a person’s morality or conscience after they witness, participate in, or fail to prevent an act that goes against their personal morals, values, or ethics. It can have serious psychological and behavioural effects on an individual as it can lead to depression, distress, or even suicidal thoughts.

What can lead to moral injury?

  • Witnessing/participating in military combat
  • Failing to intervene or report crimes or violent acts
  • Being forced by someone to commit acts that go against your morals or values (whether it is against your will or ordered by a superior)

Symptoms:

How is moral injury different from PTSD?

PTSD and moral injury do share some similar symptoms such as anger, depression, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, and self-medication with alcohol or drugs. However, PTSD is more fear-based, and moral injury is more guilt-based.

Why seek help?

It is important to seek help because moral injury can lead to a number of psychological problems and can have a detrimental impact on a person’s suffering, interpersonal relationships, or their ability to perform routine activities. Therapy can help you move past your traumas and let go of feelings of guilt, anger, and shame in order to regain your self-worth and get back to the life you deserve.

Learn about other Specialty Services

Addictions ADHD Adjustment Disorder Agoraphobia Alexithymia Anger Management Anger Management - Court Ordered Anorexia Nervosa Anticipatory Grief Anxiety Disorders Asexuality and Aromanticism Assertiveness Attachment Disorders Attachment in Adults Atypical Sexuality Autism Spectrum Disorder Bipolar Disorder Body Dysmorphic Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder Bulimia Nervosa Bullying and Cyberbullying Burnout Christian Counselling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Chronic Pain Management Communication Skills Compulsive Lying Conduct Disorder Dependent Personality Disorder Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder Depression Dermatophagia Dissociative Fugue Dyspareunia Eating Disorders Emotion Dysregulation Emotionally-based Sexual Difficulties Enuresis or Bedwetting Erectile Dysfunction Excoriation Disorder Fertility Issues Gambling Gender Identity Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Grief & Loss Health Anxiety Healthy Boundaries Hoarding Illness in Adults Illness in Children and Teens Impostor Syndrome Insomnia and Parasomnia Intellectual Disabilities Interpersonal Relationships Leadership Learning Disorders LGBTQ+ Support Life Transitions Managerial Courage Mood Disorders Moral Injury Motivation Narcissistic Abuse Survivors Narcissistic Personality Disorder Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder OCD Oppositional Defiant Disorder Panic Attacks Parenting Skills Perfectionism Performance Anxiety Personal Growth Personality Disorders Phobias Postpartum Anxiety Postpartum Depression Pre-Marital Counselling Pregnancy and Motherhood Premature and Delayed Ejaculation Problem-Solving Skills Procrastination Psychosis Psychosocial Oncology PTSD Racism and Discrimination Re-Kindle Love Refugee and Immigration Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Selective Mutism Self-Esteem Self-Sabotage Separation or Divorce Sexual Addiction Sexual Concerns Sleep Disorders Social Anxiety Stress Management Surviving Abuse Time Management and Organization Tinnitus Tourette Syndrome Transgender Vaginismus Video Game Addiction Work Concerns