Wendy J. Mahill

Shame evokes anxiety about what will happen if someone really knows is, but, because it is impossible to for anxiety and anger to be felt simultaneously, we can dream our anxiety by employing anger or rage in the form of contempt... Contempt, because it feels more powerful has always helped us feel safer and more powerful than the anxiety we feel when we experience shame. [3]

Healthy people understand that others have the capacity to choose to end relationships and it serves as motivation for them to learn to relate in_healthy and loving ways._However, when we are driven by shame, we don't_just fear_losing a_relationship, but we live in_terror_that if we_let anyone really get to know_us, we would never be_desired,_pursued, or loved. In us, that fear can be worked_out in the_development of unhealthy denial, workaholism, perfectionism, chameleon-type behavior, and sadly, even revictimization... When we live in denial or present a false self out of fear... we will do anything to be accepted by people... When we begin to tell the truth about what happened to us we also begin the process of turning about from this type of idolatry... When we begin to tear away our layers of illegitimate shame... When our own vision is not distorted by our shame we can discern what was our responsibility and what wasn't.