By Yoni Freedhoff — 2014
Blame and shame will not lead to sustainable weight loss.
Read on health.usnews.com
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Shame typically comes up when you look inward with a critical eye and evaluate yourself harshly, often for things you have little control over.
After decades of obscurity-- confused with and overshadowed by guilt — shame is increasingly recognized as a powerful, painful and potentially dangerous emotion,- especially for those who don’t understand its origins or know how to manage it.
Guilt and shame can lead to depression, anxiety, and paranoia, but they also nudge us to behave better. Research suggests that they serve an important, adaptive function important for human survival.
At the end of the day, guilt and shame are crucial social emotions, as they keep people from acting in pure self-interest.
If someone were to ask you what the hardest part of living with chronic illness is, they might expect you to respond with one of the physical symptoms you experience, or perhaps how this symptom affects your ability to do certain activities.
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These four avenues can lead you toward self-forgiveness.
At a weekend workshop I led, one of the participants, Marian, shared her story about the shame and guilt that had tortured her.