Shame as a traumatic memory

Abstract

Background: This study explores the premise that shame episodes can have the properties of traumatic memories, involving intrusions, flashbacks, strong emotional avoidance, hyper arousal, fragmented states of mind and dissociation. Method: A battery of self-report questionnaires was used to assess shame, shame traumatic memory and depression in 811 participants from general population (481 undergraduate students and 330 subjects from normal population). Results: Results show that early shame experiences do indeed reveal traumatic memory characteristics. Moreover, these experiences are associated with current feelings of internal and external shame in adulthood. We also found that current shame and depression are significantly related. Key to our findings is that those individuals whose shame memories display more traumatic characteristics show more depressive symptoms. A moderator analysis suggested an effect of shame traumatic memory on the relationship between shame and depression. Limitations: The transversal nature of our study design, the use of self-reports questionnaires, the possibility of selective memories in participants' retrospective reports and the use of a general community sample, are some methodological limitations that should be considered in our investigation. Conclusion: Our study presents novel perspectives on the nature of shame and its relation to psychopathology, empirically supporting the proposal that shame memories have traumatic memory characteristics, that not only affect shame in adulthood but also seem to moderate the impact of shame on depression. Therefore, these considerations emphasize the importance of assessing and intervening on shame memories in a therapeutic context. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Key Practitioner Message: Early shame experiences reveal traumatic memory characteristics and are related to current shame and to psychopathology. Individuals whose shame memories have more traumatic characteristics are those who show more depressive symptoms. Shame traumatic memories moderate the relationship between shame and depression, hence to the same shame, individuals who experienced shame as more traumatic are the ones who show more depressive symptoms. Therapy for shame-based problems needs to incorporate strategies to assess and address individuals shame traumatic memories.