When a friend or family member shares her or his shame story, or even when we read about a stranger’s shame experience in a book, we often have one of two reactions. If we can relate to the story because it’s an issue that we face, the experience is often both painful and strangely comforting. The pain stems from being forced to think about an issue that we probably try to keep under the surface. The comfort comes from recognizing that we are not alone in our struggles; we aren’t the only one.
