Guilt and Shame: Letting Go Of What May Be Holding You Back

One would be hard pressed to find someone who had never made a mistake. Making mistakes can be a good way to learn. Of course, we all hope for only minor mistakes over the course of our lives, but sometimes they are significant and more challenging to get past. The lessons you learn can make you a better person, but it can take time. How can you move on when you are weighed down by guilt?

Guilt and shame may stop you from repeating the same mistakes, but these feelings can also stop you from moving forward. You may find yourself held back by past mistakes, overwhelmed with guilt and shame. You may benefit from learning self-forgiveness with the help of a counselor.

The First Step to Emotional Healing

Letting go of feelings of guilt and shame can be important. This will likely only happen when you have learned to forgive yourself. Self-forgiveness can be an important first step for emotional healing. Even when your past decisions or actions have negatively affected you or someone you love, you may need to forgive yourself. As you heal your heart from guilt and shame, you may find yourself better able to open up to the positive things in your life.

Forgiving Yourself May Not Be Easy

If you are overwhelmed by a deep sense of guilt and shame, you might already understand why forgiveness may not come easily. A serious mistake and the ensuing feelings of guilt and shame can test your ability to forgive yourself. With forgiveness, you may find yourself hurting less and you may experience less stress, anger and/or depression. You may find that you sleep better, allowing you to experience a renewed sense of energy and readiness to take on the day and pursue your goals. Processing these emotions in therapy can help you forgive yourself.

Rediscovering Self Worth with Help

Recklessness can bring serious injuries. Indulgence and the abuse of substances can lead to addiction or poor decisions. Infidelity can break trust and relationships. Regardless of how devastating, painful, or bitter the repercussions are, you may need to move on. It is possible to accept responsibility for your transgressions without carrying shame and guilt with you for the rest of your life. A therapist can help you work through your emotions and start the path to forgiveness.

If guilt and shame continue to stand in the way of you living a productive life, call Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC. If you are finding it hard to forgive yourself, there are licensed, independently contracted counselors who can help you to begin to see your worth again so that you may begin to forgive yourself. Call today to schedule your first appointment!

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