Deeply shamed people feel weak and inadequate. They feel ineffective, unable to do things well. This shame may affect only a small area of their lives, or it may hinder almost everything they try to do. At its worst, Doing shame may almost completely paralyze people. Overwhelmed by their sense of incompetence, they cannot even imagine starting any task.
Shame is just that combination.
Shame can be alleviated, though. It takes a determined effort on the part of the shamed person who must change their internal messages. This is always a gradual process, a slow meander up the river of self-esteem, with necessary and frequent stops at such ports as First Hope and Affirmation. Sometimes the engine stops and the person floats backward for awhile, but over time people can progress far upstream. Eventually they change both their thoughts about themselves and their inner sensations.