The Dr. Laura Podcast

Episode: Survivor's Guilt
Host: Dr. Laura Schlessinger
Date: December 19, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Dr. Laura Schlessinger explores the topic of survivor’s guilt—what it really means, when it’s appropriate, and how it sometimes gets misapplied to situations involving anxiety or regret. Drawing from recent listener emails and a memorable call from a woman haunted by past trauma, Dr. Laura untangles the nuances between true survivor's guilt and other emotional responses, all with her signature mix of candor, direct advice, and empathy.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Listener Emails and Lighthearted Openings (00:59 - 02:56)

• Dr. Laura begins by sharing two “cute quickies” from her email inbox:
  • Aging with Gratitude: Carolyn reflects on growing older, suggesting aches and pains are “just the blessing of living this long,” and how too many friends never had that opportunity.
  • Mascara Talk: Deborah, 73, asks what mascara Dr. Laura uses since everything else is “clumpy and awful.” Dr. Laura has loyally used Chanel Black for 25 years, dismissing beauty advice about discarding mascara monthly:

    “Are you freaking kidding me? No. I have never had an eye infection for my mascara.” (02:20, Dr. Laura)

Survivor’s Guilt: Definitions and Real-Life Examples (03:07 - 11:09)

Recalling the Memorable Caller (07:08 - 10:30)

• Dr. Laura recounts a recent call that stuck with her: a woman described as “having survivor’s guilt” from a childhood incident.
  • Initially, Dr. Laura doubted that survivor's guilt was accurate for the caller’s situation, classifying it more as anxiety.
• After reviewing the call, Dr. Laura realizes the woman’s friend was murdered at home the very night she was supposed to be there, but her dad had grounded her.
• Classic survivor’s guilt does fit this case:

  “If she was supposed to be there, yeah, that’s survivor guilt.” (08:20, Dr. Laura)

Reference to Public Tragedy (08:42)

• Draws parallels to the survivor guilt felt by someone who missed a deadly D.C. plane crash after being bumped from the flight:

  “When I heard that, I said he better talk to somebody, because there’s going to be survivor guilt.” (08:58, Dr. Laura)

Clarifying Misunderstandings & Caller Technology Woes

• Dr. Laura expresses frustration over poor audio quality on calls, which can obscure crucial details and lead to misinterpretations.

  “With these little cell phones, sometimes when you folks call, it just sounds so muffled ... That’s what happened.” (07:30, Dr. Laura)

• She pledges to clarify audio with callers immediately (“this sounds muffled”) to avoid missing important context in the future.

Emotional Aftermath and Closure

• Ultimately, Dr. Laura emphasizes the importance of accurately identifying survivor’s guilt, while highlighting that—decades later—the precise label matters less than addressing the caller’s actual feelings.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gratitude and Aging:

  “This is simply the blessing of living this long. Too many of my friends did not get to—they died with no aches and pains and no ripples on their skin.” (01:33, Dr. Laura reading Carolyn’s email)

• Mascara Wisdom:

  “Only use [mascara] for a month and throw it away. Are you freaking kidding me? No.” (02:22, Dr. Laura)

• On Survivor’s Guilt:

  “If she was supposed to be there, yeah, that’s survivor guilt.” (08:20, Dr. Laura)

• Recalling Public Tragedies:

  “I said when I heard that, he better talk to somebody because there’s going to be survivor guilt.” (08:58, Dr. Laura)

• Technical Frustrations:

  “...with these little cell phones, sometimes when you folks call, it just sounds so muffled ... That’s what happened.” (07:30, Dr. Laura)

Important Timestamps

• 00:59 – Dr. Laura opens the show, shares listener quickies and mascara tips.
• 03:07 – Introduces the topic of survivor’s guilt and recounts previous call.
• 07:08 – Deep dive into the caller’s story and Dr. Laura’s realization on survivor’s guilt.
• 08:42 – Parallels with D.C. plane crash survivor’s guilt.
• 10:30 – Wrap-up: Observations on hindsight, audio clarity, and announcing call-in procedures.

Tone and Takeaway

Dr. Laura maintains her direct, practical, and sometimes humorous tone throughout the episode. She voices empathy for callers struggling with guilt from past traumas, but also stresses precision in understanding emotional responses—reminding listeners both of the importance of clarity (technological and emotional) and of not letting labels distract from healing.

Listeners seeking insight into survivor’s guilt—whether for themselves or loved ones—will find encouragement to look closely at experiences, seek help if old wounds persist, and appreciate both the serious and everyday moments in life.