7. What is Toxic Shame?

Shame is at the core of dependency and codependency.  After spending time with a person who has toxic or manipulative behaviors, we begin to internalize their subtle and sometimes not so subtle messages about ourselves.  This can cause an underlying sense of shame.  Shame is an inner experience of feeling unwanted, worthless, or rejected.  When we’re burdened with shame, we want to attach to something or someone else to get away from ourselves.  When we have a deep belief that we’re not good enough, we go to great measures to avoid that feeling.  This episode looks at the connection between codependency, toxic behaviors and shame, as well as the healing process of working through shame.