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complic8d said:
Does anyone else have trouble making eye contact, and I mean with anyone? I've noticed that I don't even really make eye contact with my family. I tried really hard today to look at my therapist, but it's hard. I think it stems from just being so ashamed of who I am.
What do you do about it? What helps? What do you say to yourself to let yourself feel good enough to look someone in the eye?
Thanks for input.

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I think before you can look people in the eye, you have to be able to look yourself in the eye.

Whatever you are ashamed of, put it on the table, write it out on a paper, study it, think on it. Can it hurt you now, could you have dealt with it better at the time it happened, is there any need to hang onto it any longer? If you come to the conclusion it can't hurt you now, and realize even though what you did was not good, there's not a darn thing you can do about it now, and let it go. And stick with that decision.

Or do you want to hang onto it for eternity so you can beat yourself up again and again? Hmmmm.

The other question is this, do you think other people in your intimate circle (friends and family) make you feel this shame somehow? And if so, why would they do this to you? Do you think people want you to be ashamed and less than who you are?