Psychology Today | 22.10.2026 23:58Shame—the feeling that we are somehow “bad” or broken—gets in the way of many facets of our lives, and one of these that I have both experienced personally and observed in my clinical practice is our ability to cope with and recover from anxiety. Anxiety, although commonly experienced and not necessarily indicative of a diagnosable mental disorder, can often feel like a problem we are suffering from in isolation, while those around us seem to function without any trouble whatsoever. The problem with this way of thinking is that it incorrectly positions anxiety as something that is shameful and embarrassing, and that indicates a personal failing.
