Shame-proneness can develop with early childhood neglect, abuse, or abandonment.
Shame Is About Being
If you found yourself identifying with questions 6-10, you may struggle with managing shame, associated with confusion about who you are, and your sense of value. In shameful states of mind (Zaslav, 1998), the self is perceived as small, weak, and bad in relation to disapproving others, real or imagined. Shame-proneness can develop with early childhood neglect, abuse, or abandonment. It has been linked to depressive, anxiety, and addictive disorders.
Are You Guilt-Prone or Shame-Prone? | Psychology Today
Guilt Is About Doing
If you identified with questions 1-5, the issue might be a hidden belief that by living, succeeding, or having rewarding relationships, you are “doing” something harmful to others. For guilty people, these ”pathogenic beliefs” (mostly unconscious, maladaptive, irrational beliefs) can develop in childhood as the result of messages received from, or ways we are treated by, parents and caretakers (Weiss, 1993).