The First Day

Available for over a year

This is a deeply personal story of guilt – how to live with it, and its power to transform us. Four years ago, producer Dave Anderson caused a climbing accident that badly injured his partner, Cassie. In this series, Dave and Cassie try to piece together their very different experiences of what happened. Through difficult and intimate conversations, they tell the whole story, from the first traumatic seconds to the emotional fallout years later. For Dave, the guilt has been overwhelming. Now, he’s searching for ways of living with it, talking to people with unique perspectives on this painful emotion. What are we misunderstanding about guilt? And how can we tap into its hidden power? In Episode 2, Cassie is in hospital waiting for the results of an x-ray that will shape her future. Dave is struggling to face up to what he’s done. Speaking to psychologist Tim Dalgleish, he takes his first steps towards understanding why guilt has such a visceral effect on us, and how we should respond to those feelings. Featuring “After” by Andrea Cohen, read by Daniel Ryan. Presenter and Producer: Dave Anderson Sound-design and mix engineer: Charlie Brandon-King Executive Producer: Anishka Sharma A Reduced Listening production for BBC Radio 4