Posted by Dinah on September 18, 2008, at 11:12:41
In reply to ugh, I hate myself today.........., posted by obsidian on September 17, 2008, at 22:03:14
And every other day I can remember.
Is it possible that you have shame attacks? I get shame attacks that are very similar to anxiety attacks. I imagine it would be possible to get shame/anxiety attacks.
I call them attacks, because while sometimes I beat myself up over things I don't like about myself and am perhaps able to rationally think myself out of them, other times they're more like a panic attack. It's impossible for me to think myself out of the underlying shame (or anxiety). All I can do is hold on to the knowledge that the shame attack will eventually end.
Darned if I understand it, but I know I've experienced it. I remember one came on me one time, and I was standing in church and listening to "Amazing Grace" and for the first time in my life I understood the meaning. That I was a wretch. I'd never thought of myself as a miserable wretch, but suddenly I understood. I was so filled with shame.
I think it's some sort of temporal lobe thing (although I'm sure there are those who would say it was just a long overdue insight). It came and went like an anxiety attack, then came and went a few more times over a relatively short period of time. I've never seen it described in the literature, but I do believe it exists because I experienced it.
poster:Dinah
thread:852567
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080906/msgs/852646.html