Shame and Guilt

I once had a counsellor whose motto was “screw guilt”. Shame and guilt are nothing more than gifts from God. Close your mouth and don’t look so baffled. They are part of the conscience. Shame and guilt are nothing more than an indication of something being amiss. They are there to tell you in no uncertain terms that you have violated your own values, moral code, and your own sense of what is right and wrong. It is telling you that you need to take action. Nothing more. If you have been experiencing guilt and shame for a few days, a week or even a month. It is your own value system telling you to step up to the plate and take action. If it has been longer than this than you have either not properly gone through the steps as outlined earlier. If you have and are still experiencing shame and guilt then you are having issues with ego in reverse. Yes ego in reverse, part of the ego saying” I am so terrible, nobody else has been as rotten as me” EGO. That and still a bit of a God complex, for if God forgives you (and make no mistake God does- for that is what God is and God does. God is love, and Love forgives) who are you not to forgive yourself if God does. For that matter who are you not to forgive anyone if God does. So if you are done playing God.
Time for the action. The action is quite simple. Name it Claim it. To do this two steps are required. First- Confession is good for the soul, also mental health and well being. This doesn’t mean you have to become catholic and go to confession with a priest. It means that shame and guilt will grow and fester like a cancer if not brought out into the light of day. You need to confide in your sponsor and your personal support group (the peers you’ve culled that accept you for you) A few close friends. Secondly you need to make amends, apologize and then do whatever it takes to make it right. That’s it, pretty simple, not necessarily easy, yet simple all the same. After that the shame and guilt will gradually diffuse. If shame and guilt persist then you perhaps require a little more discourse on the subject. And check that you took appropriate action rather than skimping (minimizing).
Remember God does not create garbage