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Guilt, Shame, and Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming Negative Emotions
With the first unified theory of guilt, shame, and anxiety, this pioneering psychiatrist and critic of psychiatric diagnoses and drugs examines the causes and effects of psychological and emotional suffering from the perspective of biological evolution, child development, and mature adult decision-making. Drawing on evolution, neuroscience, and decades of clinical experience, Dr. Breggin analyzes what he calls our negative legacy emotions-the painful emotional heritage that encumbers all human beings. The author marshals evidence that we evolved as the most violent and yet most empathic creatures on Earth. Evolution dealt with this species-threatening conflict between our violence and our close-knit social life by building guilt, shame, and anxiety into our genes. These inhibiting emotions were needed prehistorically to control our self-assertiveness and aggression within intimate family and clan relationships. Dr. Breggin shows how guilt, shame, and anxiety eventually became self-defeating and demoralizing legacies from our primitive past that no longer play any useful or positive role in mature adult life. He then guides the reader through the Three Steps to Emotional Freedom, starting with how to identify negative legacy emotions and then how to reject their control over us. Finally, he describes how to triumph over and transcend guilt, shame, and anxiety on the way to greater emotional freedom and a more rational, loving, and productive life.
320 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2014
158 people are currently reading
889 people want to read
About the author
Peter R. Breggin
31 books115 followersPeter R. Breggin MD is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and former Consultant at NIMH who has been called “The Conscience of Psychiatry” for his many decades of successful efforts to reform the mental health field.
His work provides the foundation for modern criticism of psychiatric diagnoses and drugs, and leads the way in promoting more caring and effective therapies.
His research and educational projects have brought about major changes in the FDA-approved Full Prescribing Information or labels for dozens of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs.
Dr. Breggin has authored dozens of scientific articles and more than twenty books, including medical books and the bestsellers Toxic Psychiatry and Talking Back to Prozac.
His work provides the foundation for modern criticism of psychiatric diagnoses and drugs, and leads the way in promoting more caring and effective therapies.
His research and educational projects have brought about major changes in the FDA-approved Full Prescribing Information or labels for dozens of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs.
Dr. Breggin has authored dozens of scientific articles and more than twenty books, including medical books and the bestsellers Toxic Psychiatry and Talking Back to Prozac.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
February 4, 2018
This book was useful for me as it taught me some basic information about brain development and helped me identify some of my own emotional patterns more clearly. However, I found the hardline anti-drug stance of the author to be very off putting and pretty idealistic. I thought it was somewhat ironic that he dismisses the use of psychiatric drugs because they are too "simplistic" of a solution for mental illness, yet he doesn't recognize that his own argument is an overly simplistic, one-size-fits-all response to the use of psychiatric drugs. I also found that his writing is quite repetitive and he could have said everything he wanted to say in far fewer pages. Overall, the book has the potential to be interesting and enlightening for those with little knowledge of the field of psychology, but my search for a book that offers more than coping strategy for these emotions continues.
July 10, 2016
This book is a work of great insight and compassion from an extraordinarily courageous medical doctor who for decades has been campaigning against psychiatric abuse. Now Peter Breggin turns his attention to what he calls the “negative legacy emotions” of guilt, shame, and anxiety. These emotions are the legacy of our evolutionary history, and they are negative because their role is suppressive and often harmful.
Deftly steering a course between the Scylla of simplistic biological determinism and the Charybdis of equally simplistic “blank-slate” views of human nature, Dr. Breggin explains how our unique position as both the most social and the most violent species on the planet selected for our capacity to experience guilt, shame, and anxiety. Our Paleolithic ancestors took down wooly mammoths and other big game and fended off saber-toothed cats and other predators, armed with nothing more than pointed sticks. This required both an extraordinary degree of cooperation and an extraordinary degree of ferocity from our ancestors. But that same ferocity, if allowed to operate unchecked within the family, would have led to the extinction of that family – hence the origin of guilt, shame, and anxiety as a means of keeping homicidal violence in check. But, Dr. Breggin convincingly argues, today these emotions act as a brake on our reaching our full potential as human beings.
The emotions of guilt, shame and anxiety are rooted in childhood, often in response to abuse, bullying, domestic violence, or other stresses, and often at an age an age too young to remember, an age when the brain still is being formed. These emotions are not reliable guides for making adult decision. Rather, they prevent us from reaching out, forming lasting connections to others, and taking risks that could lead to a more satisfying life.
Dr. Breggin anticipates the question that inevitably arises in the mind of the reader – don’t people need some guilt and shame? His answer is an unequivocal No. He points out that it is the abused, not the abusers, who are left with feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety. Abusers may well feel the same emotions, but those are in response to what was done to them when they were small and defenseless, not because of what they have done to others. As for anxiety, Dr. Breggin is careful to draw a clear distinction between fear, which can be a positive, life-saving reaction to a specific threat, and anxiety, which makes people feel paralyzed and, often, unable to take action in the face of actual threats.
In place of these negative legacy emotions, Dr. Breggin recommends a life centered around reason, love, and empathy. He acknowledges that “Anyone who has cared for toddlers knows how quickly even to most seemingly compliant child can turn into a raging little monster” but he insists that “Parents need to work on the premise that they can raise their children with love, guidance, and nonpunitive limit setting.” For those who have harmed the people they love, he recommends making amends, forgiving oneself, and finding the courage and the strength to love again. And for all of us, he prescribes specific steps to be taken to free our lives from the grip of these negative emotions.
Dr. Breggin tells us “The moment we 1) take responsibility for all our actions, 2) become grateful, and 3) decide to go after what we truly value in life, all resentment and regret die of irrelevance and lack of sustenance, and we begin to prosper emotionally.” Easy to read and admirably free of scientific jargon, this book is recommended for everyone who is interested in maximizing human potential.
Deftly steering a course between the Scylla of simplistic biological determinism and the Charybdis of equally simplistic “blank-slate” views of human nature, Dr. Breggin explains how our unique position as both the most social and the most violent species on the planet selected for our capacity to experience guilt, shame, and anxiety. Our Paleolithic ancestors took down wooly mammoths and other big game and fended off saber-toothed cats and other predators, armed with nothing more than pointed sticks. This required both an extraordinary degree of cooperation and an extraordinary degree of ferocity from our ancestors. But that same ferocity, if allowed to operate unchecked within the family, would have led to the extinction of that family – hence the origin of guilt, shame, and anxiety as a means of keeping homicidal violence in check. But, Dr. Breggin convincingly argues, today these emotions act as a brake on our reaching our full potential as human beings.
The emotions of guilt, shame and anxiety are rooted in childhood, often in response to abuse, bullying, domestic violence, or other stresses, and often at an age an age too young to remember, an age when the brain still is being formed. These emotions are not reliable guides for making adult decision. Rather, they prevent us from reaching out, forming lasting connections to others, and taking risks that could lead to a more satisfying life.
Dr. Breggin anticipates the question that inevitably arises in the mind of the reader – don’t people need some guilt and shame? His answer is an unequivocal No. He points out that it is the abused, not the abusers, who are left with feelings of guilt, shame, and anxiety. Abusers may well feel the same emotions, but those are in response to what was done to them when they were small and defenseless, not because of what they have done to others. As for anxiety, Dr. Breggin is careful to draw a clear distinction between fear, which can be a positive, life-saving reaction to a specific threat, and anxiety, which makes people feel paralyzed and, often, unable to take action in the face of actual threats.
In place of these negative legacy emotions, Dr. Breggin recommends a life centered around reason, love, and empathy. He acknowledges that “Anyone who has cared for toddlers knows how quickly even to most seemingly compliant child can turn into a raging little monster” but he insists that “Parents need to work on the premise that they can raise their children with love, guidance, and nonpunitive limit setting.” For those who have harmed the people they love, he recommends making amends, forgiving oneself, and finding the courage and the strength to love again. And for all of us, he prescribes specific steps to be taken to free our lives from the grip of these negative emotions.
Dr. Breggin tells us “The moment we 1) take responsibility for all our actions, 2) become grateful, and 3) decide to go after what we truly value in life, all resentment and regret die of irrelevance and lack of sustenance, and we begin to prosper emotionally.” Easy to read and admirably free of scientific jargon, this book is recommended for everyone who is interested in maximizing human potential.
January 18, 2022
I ignored the red flags and continued reading, but once he explicitly stated that he was anti-psychiatric drugs I had to stop. I had to go and read some of Andrew Solomon's work to regain brain cells and ease some very unnecessary anxiety that Breggin caused me lol.
February 5, 2022
Technically, this book is non-fiction. Technically. As soon as the author said that he doesn't believe in neuroscience and that there are no such thing as chemical imbalances and mood and mental disorders, I couldn't take the book seriously and it then became a fictional read.
The author mainly cites himself and his previous books and articles instead of actual resources that would give his claims more credibility. There were instances in the book where he would directly say, "Facts say this, but I believe that this is what was really going on and I know this to be true because of my previous books that are based on my theories."
He incessantly talks about the his personal beliefs about psychiatric drugs which would be fine if he presented his arguments professionally instead of completely biased and if he didn't already have multiple books that are solely dedicated to that topic. His claims that psychiatric drugs make people more homicidal, suicidal, have a reduced quality of life, and unable to have values and any sort of spirituality are astoundingly close minded. While there are shady professionals and people from every walk of life, not everyone prescribes drugs automatically and with blatant disregard to the patient's wellbeing. It's incredibly unprofessional and dangerous to make these dramatic generalizations in a "self-help" book.
His claims are very telling of someone who studied psychiatry at Harvard in the 50s and is stuck there. He continuously brings up electroshock therapy which is, for the most part, not practiced anymore in mainstream psychiatry.
There is this bizarre discussion of Darwin and Darwinism throughout the book which is confusing and doesn't really fit into the book at all. The reason for its inclusion is not clear.
If readers are looking for some helpful advice and insight on how to understand the feelings that are listed as the title of this book, please look elsewhere.
The author mainly cites himself and his previous books and articles instead of actual resources that would give his claims more credibility. There were instances in the book where he would directly say, "Facts say this, but I believe that this is what was really going on and I know this to be true because of my previous books that are based on my theories."
He incessantly talks about the his personal beliefs about psychiatric drugs which would be fine if he presented his arguments professionally instead of completely biased and if he didn't already have multiple books that are solely dedicated to that topic. His claims that psychiatric drugs make people more homicidal, suicidal, have a reduced quality of life, and unable to have values and any sort of spirituality are astoundingly close minded. While there are shady professionals and people from every walk of life, not everyone prescribes drugs automatically and with blatant disregard to the patient's wellbeing. It's incredibly unprofessional and dangerous to make these dramatic generalizations in a "self-help" book.
His claims are very telling of someone who studied psychiatry at Harvard in the 50s and is stuck there. He continuously brings up electroshock therapy which is, for the most part, not practiced anymore in mainstream psychiatry.
There is this bizarre discussion of Darwin and Darwinism throughout the book which is confusing and doesn't really fit into the book at all. The reason for its inclusion is not clear.
If readers are looking for some helpful advice and insight on how to understand the feelings that are listed as the title of this book, please look elsewhere.
June 7, 2019
I was looking for a book that would explain guilt to me so that I could make more sense of that emotion that kept me coming back to past experiences and wouldn't let me live in peace. And this was the right book for it.
Not only I learned about guilt, but also about its ugly sisters: shame and anxiety, and how the three of them teamed up to kick my balls on a daily basis. For me, this book was practically therapy, as it really made me more conscious about my emotions.
There were a few points about this book I didn't find quite revealing though. Like the parts in which Breggin talks about drugs being bad, how Darwin wasn't an atheist and how love seems to tie everything together. Those parts were fine, it's just that I enjoyed the other parts better.
If you've ever felt helpless, shy, or like you wanna punch a pineapple for no reason, go read this book.
Not only I learned about guilt, but also about its ugly sisters: shame and anxiety, and how the three of them teamed up to kick my balls on a daily basis. For me, this book was practically therapy, as it really made me more conscious about my emotions.
There were a few points about this book I didn't find quite revealing though. Like the parts in which Breggin talks about drugs being bad, how Darwin wasn't an atheist and how love seems to tie everything together. Those parts were fine, it's just that I enjoyed the other parts better.
If you've ever felt helpless, shy, or like you wanna punch a pineapple for no reason, go read this book.
January 24, 2015
This book had a slow start for me and I nearly gave up on it. I'm so very glad I stuck with it, because it became a book I couldn't put down. How refreshing to read about a prominent psychiatrist who is against psychiatric medications and all about the therapeutic relationship. Unfortunately, he would be at the far end of the curve on psychiatrists who practice this way.
April 26, 2015
I have never read a more mind numbing (No pun intended) book. Even the very few points I agree with are presented in such a boring way it was hard to read. Not only this, but I fully believe this book could actually be dangerous for people who have a legitimate mental disorder.
May 2, 2017
Peter B. Breggin's book "Guilt, Shame and Anxiety" is so far the best book I've Read about this topic. He goes through the "origin" of these feelings, then explains how they don't benefit us and gives tools to work our way out of them.
He is very much against using drugs to work on anxiety. I have always felt the same as I've felt that my anxiety is a result of some painful events in my life. Drugs won't heal that but I need to get past it in my own mind and find meaning in my life instead. But even if one would think drugs are part of a good treatment plan, this book is still a good read.
He is very much against using drugs to work on anxiety. I have always felt the same as I've felt that my anxiety is a result of some painful events in my life. Drugs won't heal that but I need to get past it in my own mind and find meaning in my life instead. But even if one would think drugs are part of a good treatment plan, this book is still a good read.
April 21, 2019
There's a good reason we are all crazy
I love this man and his mind. He clearly explains his thesis and logically lays out the support. I am a survivor of childhood trauma and have never utilized medications, but instead have treated myself with love, family, community, spirituality, exercise, yoga, meditation , etc. This is a fantastic and fascinating read and I highly recommend it.
I love this man and his mind. He clearly explains his thesis and logically lays out the support. I am a survivor of childhood trauma and have never utilized medications, but instead have treated myself with love, family, community, spirituality, exercise, yoga, meditation , etc. This is a fantastic and fascinating read and I highly recommend it.
February 12, 2016
Very obvious, juvenile approach to dealing with guilt and anxiety. Not very helpful save for a few historical tidbits. Author seems radical in his anti-pharma approach to self-help. He also seems to want us to believe that anyone who experiences guilt has been through a severe childhood trauma.
January 7, 2021
Breggin lays out an interesting theory of how guilt, shame, and anxiety (GSA) operate as early manifestations of “negative legacy emotions” - evolutionary products with the function of restricting willful/aggressive behavior of individuals in a family/clan setting; moreover, the natural restriction of behavior symptomatic of GSA prevents the rational adult from properly cognizing and acting on traumatizing experiences, most of which are triggered vicariously through incidental associations of GSA embedded in formative experiences.
Unfortunately however, Breggin’s unapologetic dismissal of evidence from affective neuroscience (a byproduct of a personal crusade against what he views as the misunderstood mechanisms of pernicious psychiatric drugs) prevents him from establishing material support for his theories. This is, I think, a feasible task which could turn his work from good to great - from knowledgeable speculation to a truly impressive neuroscientific theory. Indeed, love cannot otherwise be the saving Grace that Part 3 claims, without definition as the affective circuit we know it to be; the concept of negative legacy emotions similarly fall short of any concrete definition bypassing association to the workings of subcortical affective circuits.
Unfortunately however, Breggin’s unapologetic dismissal of evidence from affective neuroscience (a byproduct of a personal crusade against what he views as the misunderstood mechanisms of pernicious psychiatric drugs) prevents him from establishing material support for his theories. This is, I think, a feasible task which could turn his work from good to great - from knowledgeable speculation to a truly impressive neuroscientific theory. Indeed, love cannot otherwise be the saving Grace that Part 3 claims, without definition as the affective circuit we know it to be; the concept of negative legacy emotions similarly fall short of any concrete definition bypassing association to the workings of subcortical affective circuits.
January 15, 2024
The book profoundly expounds on the psychological underpinnings of these emotions with great precision. It's a well thought out, powerful read for anyone looking to understand the psychological foundations and patterns behind these emotions.
However, the book erroneously and persistently discredits and invalidates factual information about the pathophysiological underpinnings of psychiatric illnesses. The author seems to believe that gult, shame and anxiety underlie all psychiatric conditions and that extant pathophysiological evidence is false, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
The book could've functioned very very well as an accompaniment to pharmacological therapy or better still, as a psychoanalytic tool to help people struggling with the above, if only he did not spend scores of words invalidating existing, irrefutable evidence that stands at odds with his theory.
For his information, the only reason I was actually able to read his book through to the end was thanks to my Diazepam and Ritalin doses, which he categorically preaches against as irrational approaches.
So, it's a 2/5 for me, because you cannot attempt to make progress while obliterating that which has already been made.
However, the book erroneously and persistently discredits and invalidates factual information about the pathophysiological underpinnings of psychiatric illnesses. The author seems to believe that gult, shame and anxiety underlie all psychiatric conditions and that extant pathophysiological evidence is false, which couldn't be farther from the truth.
The book could've functioned very very well as an accompaniment to pharmacological therapy or better still, as a psychoanalytic tool to help people struggling with the above, if only he did not spend scores of words invalidating existing, irrefutable evidence that stands at odds with his theory.
For his information, the only reason I was actually able to read his book through to the end was thanks to my Diazepam and Ritalin doses, which he categorically preaches against as irrational approaches.
So, it's a 2/5 for me, because you cannot attempt to make progress while obliterating that which has already been made.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2022
Though he uses, as many do, the premise of evolution-which I firmly reject- to establish this idea of negative legacy emotions, the structure he builds upon it is quite informative. The desire he has to empower one's in a compassionate way to be open to actually addressing and moving past the underlying, unsettling issues are quite nice. I appreciate the calm, straight forward voice he maintains to explain clearly his perspective and reasoning for using simple empathy, and thoughtful tools to assist one to create desired alterations in thoughts, actions and purpose to create a better, happier, and more loving existence.
August 23, 2020
The first part posits a lot of interesting theories about the evolutionary origins of inhibitory emotions like guilt, shame, and anxiety, and their relation to other feelings like anger. Throughout the book, Breggin makes the claim that psychiatric drugs are a harmful treatment for most mental health conditions. A lot of his assertions are backed by his own research, which may be stellar--I didn't interrogate it thoroughly. I didn't find his prescriptions for overcoming guilt, shame, and anxiety to be particularly unique, specific, or helpful.
December 20, 2023
A thorough, if only slightly overlong, mix of scientific and philosophical arguments about the tricky negative emotions that plague humans, their innate biological nature, and our intrinsic ability to defeat them in pursuit of a better living. There is some repetitiveness to the writing and structure of the book which could have used sharper editing but in general, the author successfully constructed and convinced me to adopt certain higher ideals and objectives to live my life without being bogged down by anxiety or guilt.
February 26, 2020
This has some really solid messages and I'm glad I read it, it kind of reaffirmed life's purpose for me and helped me understand how to be my best, most loving self and live a life if emotional freedom. But the messaging was quite overdone and dry in some parts, especially the beginning. Also the scaremongering over psychiatric drugs made me feel horrible and worried about people I love who are on them. Some more leniency in this viewpoint and more well rounded evidence/arguments were needed.
September 17, 2021
Somehow I know that memory problems, lack of concentration and other type of brain damage can be caused by psychoactive drugs. But who I am I to oppose specialists in the field telling me that if I do not take my medicine my neurons are going to die? The alternative of offering support to mental patients through therapy and good-will alone seems to me a little far-fetched. Just take your drugs and hope you will not end up a legume.
April 6, 2023
I don’t feel adequately knowledgeable about the subject of psychiatric drugs to comment on his repeated stance against them. I think like all things, it’s a very personal and case-by-case basis kind of thing. I did find his musings on guilt and shame to be very helpful but I wish he provided more strategies to deal with these emotions than what essentially boils down to think of something nice instead.
March 26, 2024
This was rough. The ideas felt a bit outdated and I was honestly surprised this was published in 2014.
The idea that shame and guilt were primitive emotions that were no longer useful. That medications don’t help mental illness (and it’s all in your head). That using religion is the way to feel better.
I really struggle to find anything useful when I don’t agree with the stance presented on these topics.
The idea that shame and guilt were primitive emotions that were no longer useful. That medications don’t help mental illness (and it’s all in your head). That using religion is the way to feel better.
I really struggle to find anything useful when I don’t agree with the stance presented on these topics.
January 19, 2018
This book was a really interesting read on gulit, shame, and anxiety. This easy to read book, gives you tools to cope with these three things. It is easy to flip through if you find that only certain chapters apply to you.
January 8, 2020
Although this book is written from a secular perspective, Dr. Breggin helps us understand the fundamental negative emotions which afflict humanity. His antidote to the chaos produced by these emotions is the same as the message of the New Testament: Love.
August 3, 2022
I had so much trouble getting through this hot garbage. It's the same handful of ideas over and over, one of which is his rejection of any kind of biological psychiatry or psychiatric drugs. Not only is this book incredibly boring, but it's also wildly irresponsible.
April 8, 2023
Life changing book. Perhaps because I read it at a perfect time in my life and was exactly what I needed. Amazing through and through.
However, the last part of the book irritates and pisses me off to no end. And I believe it's meant to be that way. But I still love it.
However, the last part of the book irritates and pisses me off to no end. And I believe it's meant to be that way. But I still love it.
May 8, 2025
peter breggin is a conspiracy theorist that is anti-medication in a dangerous way. psychiactric drugs, when used properly, DO lead to better lives and wellness. his attacks on science are profoundly incorrect, offensive, and dangerous to those vulnerable to influence.
March 5, 2018
Beginning was interesting enough, and if I were in a bad romantic relationship I may have found this more valuable.
August 25, 2020
Only qualm was the anti-drug stance.
May 5, 2025
This book helped me exactly when I needed it the most. It's real knowledge, not self-help BS. Highly recommend.
July 26, 2018
This was such a tedious, boring book. The author's thesis could be expressed in a short essay, instead he repeats the same ideas over and over for hundreds of pages. You can judge the strength of his arguments and decide if they work for you from the first chapter. Basically he claims you need to identify the negative (prehistoric) emotions driving your maladaptive behaviour and will yourself to over come them by choosing love. Easy peasy!
March 14, 2016
An important book
If you've struggled with emotion at any point in your life, this book is an important and widely applicable resource for understanding and dealing with them. It's a remarkable hands on approach to grabbing your emotions by the horns and making changes in your perception and course of a action.
If you've struggled with emotion at any point in your life, this book is an important and widely applicable resource for understanding and dealing with them. It's a remarkable hands on approach to grabbing your emotions by the horns and making changes in your perception and course of a action.
June 9, 2015
Interesting and thought-provoking book. Definitely struck home in many ways, although I'm not entirely in agreement with him that psychiatric drugs should not be used. Some people really benefit from them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews