You may have heard the words moral injury but aren't sure what that means or if it is something that you have experienced in your life. It's important to understand as we are becoming more subject to moral injury in an ever changing world. 

Moral injury happens when someone is involved in, witnesses, or is unable to prevent something that goes against their deeply held values or moral beliefs. It’s not quite the same as trauma as we have discussed it here, though they can have similar outcomes in our emotional and physical well-being. Where trauma can leave people feeling unsafe, moral injury tends to leave people feeling broken-hearted, ashamed, or spiritually adrift.

It can look like a nurse who had to follow orders that led to substandard care, a combat veteran who had to make impossible choices, a child who was forced to betray a sibling to survive, or a social worker who had to participate in a system they knew was harming the very people they wanted to help. Sometimes it’s not about what someone did—but about what they couldn't do. The inability to intervene, to stop harm, or to live in alignment with what they know is right can sit like a stone in the gut for years.

It’s not always obvious if you're experiencing moral injury, especially because people often assume their emotional pain must be about something else—like depression, burnout, or just feeling "off." But if you find yourself haunted by something you did or didn’t do, if you feel a deep sense of guilt, shame, or regret that doesn’t seem to fade with time, or if you feel like you’ve betrayed yourself in some way, those can be signs. Maybe there's a part of you that still feels like you failed someone—or like you failed yourself. You might find it hard to talk about what happened because you worry that others won’t understand, or worse, that they’ll confirm the worst things you believe about yourself. Sometimes, it shows up as anger, isolation, or a kind of numbness that settles in because it feels safer than feeling everything all at once.

Moral injury often leads to intense feelings of guilt, shame, or even self-loathing. People may replay events over and over again, wondering what they could have done differently. There can be a loss of trust—not just in others, but in themselves. Some folks find themselves questioning everything: their identity, their purpose, even their worthiness of healing. It’s a kind of soul wound that doesn't always have words, but it changes the way people relate to themselves and the world around them.

What makes moral injury so painful is that it’s not just about what happened. It’s about what it meant. The meaning we make of these experiences can shape how we carry them. And because it’s tied to our values—what we believe is good and right—it can shake the foundation of how we see ourselves. Someone might look like they’re functioning just fine on the outside, but inside, they may be carrying deep grief, anger, or a sense of betrayal.

Healing from moral injury takes time. It often involves not just processing what happened, but also reconnecting with one’s values and beginning to forgive themselves for making choices that are at odds with their internal sense of right and wrong. It can mean finding a way to make meaning out of what was once unbearable, to allow complexity where once there was only black-and-white thinking, and to remember that being human means we are sometimes put in impossible positions.

If this is something you recognize in yourself, you’re not alone. Moral injury is real, and it deserves the same care and attention we would give to anything that causes pain. Moral injury is the result of having a conscience in an unjust or overwhelming situation. And while the pain is real, so is the possibility of healing.