Human emotions are complex phenomena that include different dimensions of our experience. For example: cognitive elements, physical sensations, action trends, search for the satisfaction of a specific objective, methods of interpersonal expression.
Shame
Shame is an unpleasant, social and complex emotion. Its function is to report that a bad impression is being done and therefore that the purpose of giving a good self -image is compromised and that one could be excluded from the reference group.
The experience of shame is generally associated with the feeling of exposure to the gaze of otherswith fear of judgment and increase in sensitivity to social refusal and exclusion.
Cognitive elements
With reference to the typical cognitive elements associated with shame we can find:
- negative judgment expectations by others,
- Negative beliefs about themselves (for example: I am incapable; I am inadequate; I am clumsy; I am ridiculous; they are not up to par; I am bespoke; I am weak; I am lower; I am worthy of exclusion),
- Negative beliefs about others (for example: they will judge me; they will deride me; they will exclude me).
Physical sensations
Among the physical sensations associated with it we typically find redness, tachycardia, sweating, tremor and general sensations of heat or cold.
Associated behaviors
Among the trends in action are generally found behaviors oriented towards inhibition, to shrinking, hiding, sinking, or fleeing. Until the real block, with the aim of being less visible and exposed.
Therefore, among the methods of typical interpersonal expression, signals such as:
- Keep the head down,
- avoidance of eye contact,
- look away,
- Posture discharged with curved shoulders.
Shame and psychopathology
Like any emotion, shame cannot be considered a problematic or pathological manifestation itself.
Due to different processes, however, the experience of shame, the methods of managing the shame and the susceptibility to experiment with it, they are to have a relevant role in different pathological manifestations.
For example, in the avoidant personality disorder and in the social anxiety in which, in addition to the experience of shame, the metaragogna process is important. That is, the shame of shame, for which the person expects to be judged negatively or rejected and excluded from others for the fact of express the signs of shame itself.
Even in depression and eating disorders the experience of shame seems to be relevant both for the debut and for the maintenance of the symptoms.
In particular, in eating disorders shame for one’s body and for food behavior can play a role as a factor of debut and maintenance of symptomsin addition to being a trigger for binges, when present.
Also, the role of shame seems to be a significant and worthy experience of clinical attention in different personality disorders. For example, in addition to the aforementioned avoidant personality disorder, in the borderline personality disorder and in the narcissistic personality disorder.
The Therapy scheme
The Therapy scheme (ST) is an supplementary therapy, which is placed within the third generation of cognitive-behavioral therapies.
It combines with the cognitive and behavioral strategies of the standard cognitive therapy contributions from other theories. Like attachment theory, gestalt and transactional analysis.
The Therapy scheme is based on the concept that each human being was born with specific fundamental emotional needs which, if they are not adequately satisfied in early relationships with the reference figures, determine the formation of Early maladative schemes (SMP).
The early maladative schemes are deep cognitive and emotional structures, which the person uses for self -understanding, others and relationships. They include emotions, thoughts, memories, somatic sensations and involve the activation of specific neurobiological circuits.
However dysfunctional, early maladative patterns are maintained over time, often originating suffering for the person, relational problems, difficulties in various areas of operation.
The early maladative schemes can therefore play a crucial role in the origin, maintenance and aggravation of complex (resistant, for example, treatment with standard cognitive-behavioral therapy) or personality disorders.
The shame in the Therapy scheme
One of the early maladative schemes considered in Therapy scheme is that of Inadequacy-virgogna. If this early maladative scheme is present, once active, typically implies the feeling of feeling inadequate, different, wrong, defective, lower, immense, with hiring relating to the not pleasure to the others and be for this reasonable removal, refusal and exclusion.
The experience of shame is often associated with the defects that people with this early maladative scheme have the conviction of having.
As illustrated by a tenor (2023), in the perspective of Therapy scheme, depending on the type of experiences that the person has experienced in its development history, the needs frustrated at the origin of the early maladative scheme of inadequacy-virgogna can be different and belong to different domains.
For example, they could concern safe attachment, safety, protection, autonomy, the sense of competence and identity, unconditional acceptance, belonging. The basic assumption is that if the early maladative scheme of inadequacy-virgogna is present, the person will have one susceptibility to the emotion of shame same.
In addition to the early maladative scheme, it is also necessary to consider the expressive and behavioral methods with which the person manages the activation of the early maladative scheme itself. That is, which coping style uses.
For these mechanisms, despite having the inadequacy scheme at the base – shame, people will be able to express it in a very different way based on the specific coping method adopted. Thus, starting from the same early maladative scheme, a person may appear hidden, inhibited, complacent, perfectionist, criticism, striker, devaluingetc.
Work with shame in Therapy scheme
As illustrated by a tenor (2023), in an interesting intervention linked to work with the shame in the Therapy scheme, the treatment of the excessive susceptibility to shame, is based on the possibility of creating connections between what happens today in problematic in the patient’s life and what happened in its development history.
The purpose of the interventions is in fact to identify and understand the origins of susceptibility, with the aim of “repairing” them. In particular, it becomes crucial to identify i frustrated needs In the prototypical episodes that led to the formation of the early maladative scheme, with the aim of learning to respond adequately.
The goal is to find the channel to provide the patient of corrective emotional experiences. These experiences are provided through the Limited repairing, carried out through the comprehensive technique ofImagery Rescripting.
The Imagory Rescripting To work on shame can follow different processes
As illustrated by a tenor (2023), it is typically useful to identify a current problematic situation in which shame was experienced.
Following, in imagination, the physical sensations experienced are focused and amplified, with the aim of creating a connection with specific past memories, of which the thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and trends in the associated action will then be explored.
Through this bridge between present and past it will be possible to identify the specific frustrated needs, which are supposed to be the basis of the early maladative scheme in question and therefore of the excessive susceptibility to shame.
Subsequently, through the Rescriptingthe therapist (or the patient himself according to the cases) will proceed with the imaginative work by adopting suitable moves to achieve the satisfaction of the specific need (or of the needs!) Defting that have emerged.
The technique interrupts after the frustrated needs are adequately satisfied. Obviously, the purpose ofImagery Rescripting It is not to change the patient’s story, but the meaning of this and the impact it has on the current life of the patient and its functioning.
The effects of the IMERY Rescripting
Depending on the cases, the positive sensations of competence, adequacy, mastery, tranquility, calm or satisfaction that, hopefully, are achieved at the end of theImagery Rescriptingcan be further used to work on the current problematic situation, enhancing the patient’s resources.
As highlighted by the same tenor (2023), among the effects ofImagery Rescripting The increase in self -acceptance is detected and compassion for the self is promoted.
Furthermore, the purpose ofImagery Rescripting It is to obtain both a cognitive re -attribution and an emotional processing that allow Make the early maladative scheme gradually more flexible. To distance themselves from certain representations by attributing them outside (for example from “I am defective”, to “I felt defective because of what happened”). In order to increase the probability of seeking and implementing protective experiences also in the present (instead of continuing to use dysfunctional methods).
Given the importance assumed by the experience of shame as a debut factor, maintenance and aggravation of different pathological events, this treatment could prove to be useful in the therapy of different events, especially if the response to standard treatments is not adequate.
Bibliography
- Procacci, M., people, R. & Marsigli, N. (2011). Anxiety and social retreat. Milan: Raffaello Cortina publisher.
- Tenor, K. (2023). The Therapy scheme to work on shame, envy and anger (Webinar). Italian Academy of Therapy scheme (IAST).
- Young, Je, Klosko, Js, & Weishaar, Me (2003). Therapy scheme: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York: Guilford Press. (Trad. It. Therapy scheme. Cognitive-behavioral therapy integrated for personality disorders. Erickson, 2018).
