Shame#

Interpersonal EffectivenessWeek 6

Remember:
- Everyone is a bit “crazy”, odd or broken.
- Being flawed doesn’t mean that your needs don’t deserve to be met, or that you don’t deserve to be happy.
- Perfect doesn’t exist.

Shame is an unpleasant, self-conscious emotion. It’s associated with:

- Negative self-evaluation
- Motivation to quit
- Pain
- Distrust
- Feeling exposed & unsafe
- Worthlessness
- Powerlessness

Remember: Self-compassion is not self-pity.

Shame presents itself in a myriad of ways, including:

- The idea that “perfect” is realistic & attainable - it’s not.
- Not being able to trust, or be honest with, others.
- Pushing others away, or avoiding time spent with others.
- Isolation
- Unhelpful beliefs that you are inherently a failed person without any form of redemption
- General unhappiness, or a constant feeling of emptiness
- Feeling unworthy of having a happy life
- Feeling unworthy of emotional support
- Feeling unworthy of basic needs being fulfilled
- No self-esteem, possibly self-hatred
- One-sided relationships, where the needs of others are prioritised above your own
- Projecting shame onto others
- Perceiving the actions of others as negative & judgemental