Shame and Guilt

Shame and Guilt

Shame is often confused with guilt, but it is not the same emotion.

When we feel guilt, we feel badly about something we did or neglected to do. When we feel shame, we feel badly about who we are.

When we feel guilty, we need to learn that it is okay to make mistakes.

When we feel shame, we need to learn that it is okay to be who we are.

Some people defend against shame by projecting it on others and by

raging at them. If you tend to do this, particularly if you lash out at

people or have sudden, unexpected fits of rage, pay attention to the

ways in which you convert shame into anger.

Self-blame and shame are closely related. Children tend to blame

themselves for their parents’ behavior, no matter how inappropriate or

abusive. Self-blame is also consistent with the way traumatized people

of all ages tend to think. They search for faults in their own behavior

in an effort to make sense out of what happened to them.

Culled from Healing your emotional self by Beverly Engel

Abdulkareem,Taoheedah kehinde