Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame: A Relational/Neurobiological Approach by Patricia A. DeYoung

“Shame, as specifically a right-brain experience, is a relatively pure form of shame affect that overwhelms and wipes out sense of self. So, essentially whenever you’re shamed, you kind of disintegrate from the inside and lose who you are and it leaves you vulnerable to the person shaming you. The ability to bring yourself back to your sense of self is how you determine if it’s chronic or acute. I’ve experienced religious shame. There’s so many rules when it comes to religion and so much hypocrisy and it’s kind of just embedded within society. I know we separate church and state, but everyone knows the concept of “One nation under God”, and how you follow certain rules, and if you don’t follow these rules, you’re shamed and you’re outcast. I went to church every Sunday. It can go on for like 10 hours. It’s like, well, if we haven’t caught the holy ghost yet, he’s not coming.”