The Healing Power of the Shame Story

For many living with addiction, shame is intimately entwined with their patterns of substance use. Guilt is tied to what we do, whereas shame stems from a deeper place: Who we are. If we are ashamed of who we are, hiding and pretending we are something else can seem like our only options. Some seek relief from intense shame through substances, and for these individuals, unveiling the origins of shame can confront addiction at its roots.

Jeff Georgi, expert addiction counselor with over 40 years in clinical practice and author of “Beyond Shame: Healing the Pain Beneath the Surface of Addiction,” often employs an intervention to illuminate deeply-rooted shame he calls the “shame story.” In Jeff’s experience, we will often repeat the same narrative of shame in different facets of our lives until we address it. The shame story is an effort to help a client share a narrative around the first time they remember experiencing shame, with the goals of helping the client understand their shame more deeply, cope with it more effectively, and hold themselves with greater compassion.

Shame is part of everyone’s life to varying degrees, and knowing our unique shame story can render shame more familiar and less powerful. Through addressing shame at the root, we can understand it as a part of ourselves from the past that is hurting. Making shame known can open new avenues for self-compassion and healing.

Much like therapy itself, the shame story is not some casual dialogue. Rather, it is an animated expression of our hopes, fears, and vulnerabilities. Addressing shame can profoundly support recovery from addiction.