Two key areas of the brain are activated by shame: the prefrontal cortex and the posterior insula. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain associated with moral reasoning. This is where judgements about the self occur. The posterior insula is the part of the brain that engages visceral sensations in the body.
Shame, like trauma, puts the body in a freeze state and lowers the ability to think and act clearly. Shame feels like a fog or cover, something that is external, that makes it hard to function.
Field says shame often leads to a “sunken” body posture, a physical expression of wanting to disappear. And because it's a type of stress response, it can also lead to common symptoms of sympathetic activation, like blushing cheeks, increased body temperature, sweating, or queasiness.
Shame can stem from a person's own poor choices or harmful behavior. Other times unfortunate circumstances—such as poverty or chronic physical illness—plant seeds of shame. However, shame is much more than an uncomfortable feeling or a response to a humiliating event.
Two key areas of the brain are activated by shame: the prefrontal cortex and the posterior insula. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain associated with moral reasoning. This is where judgements about the self occur. The posterior insula is the part of the brain that engages visceral sensations in the body.
The four poles of the Compass of Shame: Withdrawal (hiding), Attack Self (deference), Avoidance (look where I want you to look) and Attack Other (put down).
The parasympathetic nervous system, as we can see, is calming to the body. When faced with shame, the brain reacts as if it were facing physical danger, and activates the sympathetic nervous system generating the flight/fight/freeze response.
Cognitive processing therapy (CPT): CPT occurs over 12 sessions, during which a person talks about their trauma, works to understand how their trauma affects their emotions and behavior, and then implements strategies for controlling the effects of trauma, including shame.
Toxic shame impacts how people think about and treat themselves. Because many with toxic shame try to avoid embarrassment or a shame trigger, toxic shame also robs them of many life choices and joys. But regaining a more positive sense of self — separate from the shame caused by poor childhood treatment — is possible.
Shame is a necessary human emotion that helps us develop a moral compass, but it can become destructive in our lives. It can lead us to believe that we have to be perfect or else we are not lovable. It can lead us to withdraw from others. It can lead us to be defensive and distant.
These behaviors include doing things to make yourself feel small, trying to avoid being the center of attention, or not sharing your thoughts or feelings. Concealing yourself is a method of self-protection.
In a social-evaluative situation, strength of cortisol stress responses will be predicted by shame expression responses, and to a lesser extent, by self-reported trait and state shame responses. Individuals with low body esteem will report and show stronger shame stress responses.
Along with the emotional baggage it carries, extreme sadness can cause distinctive physical sensations in the chest: tight muscles, a pounding heart, rapid breathing, and even a churning stomach. As you can see on the body map, survey respondents pinpointed the chest as a major spot for the manifestation of sadness.
Experiencing a traumatic event can awaken a wide variety of distressing emotions. One of the most challenging emotions that may arise is shame, which many people struggle with as an after-effect of trauma.
Narcissism is the primary defense against shame and often goes hand-in-hand with the other two defenses. When people suffer from an unbearable sense of shame, they often seek to elicit admiration from the outside, as if to deny the internal damage.
You Cry Periodically
In fact, it's how your body releases pent-up energy after a traumatic or distressing event. During your recovery period, let yourself feel your emotions. After crying, you may feel like a weight's been lifted off your shoulders.
You may deal with somatic symptoms such as pain or digestive distress or feel a steady stream of anxiety. This is because trauma is stored in the body in your nervous system as an overactive stress response.