How to Get Out of The Cycle of Shame

Shame is considered a toxic emotion. It can have a big affect on your physical and emotional health and it can lead to substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and poor self-esteem. Shame and guilt can often get confused with one another, but they’re two different emotions. Shame is the thought that you are a bad person whereas guilt is the thought that you’ve made a grave mistake and you feel badly about it and want to rectify it.    Where does shame come from? We begin to take on this identity that we’re bad people and internalize these messages as early as 0-7 years old. Shame can come from our peers or even our caregivers who have humiliated us or publicly shamed us in front of others. Many people end up developing a distorted view on themselves that they’re not good enough or that they’re flawed. This distorted view can later manifest in destructive behavioral patterns.    What’s important to note is that each of us brings some sort of shame or embarrassment into adulthood. It is almost impossible to prevent this. However, everytime our shame is triggered, we end up reliving that notion that there’s something deeply wrong with us. To avoid the shame cycle, it’s important to become aware and clear where this deep uneasiness comes from so that you can soothe yourself as you’re getting triggered.    Continue Your Growth Journey: Kaminiwood.com