How to use it
After a slip, say "I did a bad thing", never "I am bad". Guilt is about the action, so you can repair it. Shame is about the whole self, so the only way out is to escape, often back into the habit. Own the act, fix what you can, keep the person.
How sure we are
P Evidence: promising. Good studies, but small or few. Use it and keep checking.
Sources
In three samples (816 students and jail inmates), people prone to shame had more alcohol and drug problems, while people prone to guilt had fewer or no more (Dearing, Stuewig & Tangney 2005, 🟡; correlational) · "I am bad" as the root identity: Peter Crone (🟠) · see 75 and 303.
Not medical, legal or financial advice.