Guilt and I are good friends. I can't help it. I was brought up Catholic
This little snippet from one of the Classic Readings always does it for me. I hope it can help you:
"You are reading from Mars & Venus starting over. By John Gray, Ph.D.
Some people hold on to guilt because they believe that they are bad and should feel guilty for leaving a partner who feels hurt, betrayed, or abandoned. This is incorrect thinking. If we realize that a relationship is not right for us, then it cannot be right for our partner. The greatest gift we can give someone is the opportunity to find love. If we are unable to get what we need in a relationship, then we can never give another what he/she needs. We will feel too resentful. Only by leaving him/her will he/she be free to find the love he/she needs.
Sometimes even when we are the ones who are the victims, we feel guilty for leaving. We may mistakenly feel sorry for our partners, when really they should be feeling sorry for the ways they have hurt us."
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-go-guilt.html