Counselor Toolbox - Addiction, Counseling, And Mental Health Continuing Education | Recovery | Relationships | Clinical | Psy

### Summary #### Introduction - Presenter: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes - Topic: Toxic guilt and shame - signs, causes, and solutions - Goals: Understanding guilt and shame, their causes, effects, and ways to overcome them #### Definitions and Differences - **Guilt**: Anger at oneself for a behavior; feeling you did something wrong. - **Shame**: Feeling that you are inherently bad; about the person, not just behavior. - Importance of separating behavior from self-worth. #### Healthy vs. Toxic Guilt - **Healthy Guilt**:  - Motivates positive change and learning.  - Anger at oneself for a behavior or omission.  - Helps align actions with values. - **Toxic Guilt**:  - Drains energy and erodes self-esteem.  - Leads to ongoing self-anger without productive action.  - Often paired with shame. #### Effects of Toxic Guilt - Continuous stress response activation. - Desperate attempts to prove worth. - Leads to behaviors like fawning or overcompensating. #### Causes of Toxic Guilt - Holding onto “shoulds” imposed by othe