Shame and Guilt

by Ernest Kurtz

This was the first non-technical book to discuss the differentiation of shame from guilt and to apply that distinction to alcoholics and addicts. Sections Discovering and Recognizing Shame; Confronting Shame; The Healingr of Shame.

Genres: Psychology

57 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[JD Waggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a very short and easily accessible read, but it gives you a lot to chew on. Kurtz is writing out of an explanation of shame (and, to a far lesser extent, guilt) as it impacts alcoholics and as it is tackled within the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous, but he deliberately writes to make the concepts pertinent to non-addicts as well. I think he succeeds admirably and will keep mulling over the ideas he introduces. He definitely leans on Helen Block Lewis's differentiation of shame and guilt (shame being internal and about one's "being," guilt being external and about one's actions), but his A.A. context goes into the interdependency of humans in dealing with that shame and the ways in which working through shame require retraining one's sense of self as regards dependence and control.

I definitely recommend this for those who are friends or relatives of addicts (of any kind) as well as for addicts themselves. I also recommend this to readers in general; though I am not myself an addict, there are definitely pieces of my life to which I can apply the things Kurtz notes about how shame manifests in one's life and what healing that requires.

[Maria Almaguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny book with a lot of punch, it's something one would have to re-read several times for it to be fully understood.

[Andy C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will enjoy this.