Shame is an emotion that arises when a person analyzes one’s own action or behavior and makes a negative assessment of it. This is directly linked to the supposed negative judgment that other people will also make. Thus resulting in a series of sensations such as shyness, anxiety or embarrassment. What would be popularly known as being embarrassed. However, it is not a bad thing, even if it means a bad time for those who suffer from it, since it is an adaptive tool. Since individuals thus learn what is accepted or not in a social environment.
The problem comes when this shame becomes something pathological, which interferes with people’s daily lives and causes deep discomfort. It is no longer a mechanism that fulfills a function, but quite the opposite, it is something toxic and has negative consequences. How can it be that people tend to withdraw or self-isolate, in addition to causing cowardice and generating a devastating impact on self-esteem and self-confidence. Pathological shame can lead to anxiety and even depression.
Psychologist Sara Montejano proposes a series of tips with which people who have pathological shame can stop thinking about what they will say and accept themselves.
