Guilt from hearing violence

[Leisel]

So, a little tiny bit of background. I have always had a problem with violent movies. They're one of my biggest triggers. I feel this awful guilt, like, "The characters don't deserve that pain, so why are they feeling it when I'm not?" combined with intense fear that all of the violent things in the movies are going to happen to me.
I feel this guilt a lot and I was watching a really violent movie recently (didn't know it would be so violent), and realized that I think this may still be guilt from hearing my abuser in the other room with my sibling.
We were only kids, and I know in theory that a child is never responsible and that I did not do anything wrong. Still, I have this feeling like I "should" have taken all of it, interfered to try to protect my siblings, something. I hear other people's stories, and I see the movies, and I don't understand why there is so much pain, and I feel unbearable guilt that anyone is experiencing pain in moments when I am not. I wasn't a hero like these characters. I just survived.
Is that okay?
Does anyone else feel this way?
Do you know anything that can help with the guilt?

 

[Gamera3000]

Actually helping someone. It doesn't have to have anything to do with your trauma. Let's say that your trauma has something to do with physical violence. You could help someone learn to read, or pick up a stray dog and take him to a no-kill shelter. Those kinds of things may help lessen the severity and frequency of triggers and flashbacks. It did for me anyway.

I'm in therapy and my therapist keeps having me to these exercises where I pantomime what I should have done or wish I had done. So far that isn't doing anything for me. For real, in person helping another person or animal DOES help.

 

[Ronin]

^^ Ditto.

The only thing helping with violence? Kindness. Helping. Being mindful of own motives in helping.

& Guilt specifically? Compassion.* Now, I fail at that one, so no words of wisdom, but compassion can shift some of those dark and stabbing holes in one's soul that violence leaves. Make them lighter. Make them... just there, without hurting every darn time, and maybe with more time, healing.

* Forgiveness might work for you too, but I'm in the blind on *that* one. Compassion I know what is and how to implement it. Forgiveness is something I'm perpetually learning, trauma-unlearning, learning-again, choose your friends & choose your feelings... and I'm not good at either of those, but forgiveness is an option as well.

 

[The Albatross]

My guilt is pretty much restricted to real life. I don't have an issue with over empathizing or going down the rabbit hole about a movie. Yeah, shoulding yourself about past situations is kinda normal... however it can also be true that whatever happened you most likely did the best you could "at that time".