Navigating Carried Shame

Listen to this episode from Overcoming Betrayal & Addiction on Spotify. Licensed marriage and family therapist Kristin Snowden discusses carried shame and the danger of absorbing a betraying partner’s shame-filled life. She offers hope and tools for resiliency so that a betrayed partner can move through their own healing and get their lives and self-worth back again. She and Tami then answer participant questions about shame, addiction, and healing.    TAKEAWAYS: [1:30] Understanding the terms associated with trauma healing, addiction recovery, and carried shame.  [4:37] The importance of knowing your own shame stories.  [5:20] Defining carried shame in a betrayed partner.  [9:36] Every human being experiences shame and guilt.  [14:27] Why do we experience shame?  [18:04] The role of shame in the addiction cycle. [20:30] The 4 basic shame-filled stories that addicts operate out of.  [26:35] How does carried shame occur?  [38:48] How does carried shame manifest in the betrayed partner?  [39:35] How can carried shame be healed?  [46:19] D-Day was yesterday. What’s next?  [48:03] How can I prepare for disclosure as a betrayed partner?  [51:43] How can my wife live with an addict like me?  [57:35] Why is my partner so incredibly defensive and derogatory toward me? [1:00:00] How can I accept the fact that I may be in a carried shame relationship?      RESOURCES: Seekingintegrity.com Email Tami: [email protected] Sexandrelationshiphealing.com Intherooms.com Out of the Doghouse: A Step-by-Step Relationship-Saving Guide for Men Caught Cheating, by Robert Weiss Prodependence: Moving Beyond Codependency, by Robert Weiss Sex Addiction 101: A Basic Guide to Healing from Sex, Porn, and Love Addiction, by Robert Weiss Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men, by Robert Weiss Seeking Integrity Podcasts are produced in partnership with Podfly Productions.    QUOTES “As part of your healing journey, it’s necessary that you really get to know what your shame stories are.”  “Shame has good intentions, but it only drenches you with a painful experience.”  “Shame is a powerful, contagious emotion.”  “Shame lives in the non-language part of your brain. The more you talk about it, the more you can recognize distorted thinking around it.”  “Shame does not get sorted out in an isolated way.”