ABSTRACT
Many of our psychological problems are rooted in our unhealthy past shame memories. Unless we resolve the underlying shame, we may be just treating the surface symptoms. This chapter elaborates on this point by using a case of clinical depression. The common approach to treat depression is a combination of self-help, medication and talk therapy, focusing more on reducing the outward symptoms by intentionally and aggressively changing the negative thoughts and actions. However, the reverse is equally true in that our emotions also influence our thoughts and actions. To treat such type of depression effectively at its roots, we need to address the psychological problems which cause the negative emotions that in turn generate the symptoms. In many of these cases, the symptoms are the result of the overuse of defence mechanisms to protect against shame. Therefore, the more complete approach to address such cases is first to attend to the symptoms by the conventional ways to manage or cope with them, then connect the symptoms to the defence mechanisms which cause them, and finally resolve through the unconscious the internalized shame memories so that those defence mechanisms are no longer required.
