What to Do If You Get Easily Embarrassed

The clients that see Brooklyn-based psychotherapist Emmy Kleine, LMHC, tend to feel embarrassed about three things: money, sex and their bodies. And they assume these issues are unique to them. They assume their behavior isn’t normal. Lena Aburdene Derhally’s clients tend to feel most embarrassed at work or in social situations — where they also tend to feel most judged by others. They feel embarrassed about making mistakes. They ruminate about whether they said the wrong thing at a get-together. Maybe you get embarrassed about the same things. Or maybe your embarrassment is triggered by tiny things (which feel massive in the moment), like using the wrong word in conversation or in your writing, like tripping over your own feet. Maybe you get embarrassed when you’re put on the spot and don’t know the right answer. Maybe you feel embarrassed about driving an old car or not owning a home. Kleine believes that embarrassment is a learned response. We learn from society, from our caregivers, from our teachers, from others whether certain behaviors are acceptable or not. Sometimes we learn these lessons because someone shamed us. Derhally, LPC, believes some people are more easily embarrassed than others because they have a louder, harsher inner critic. “If someone has a strong inner critic, the feelings of embarrassment and shame are quite pervasive and constant. Someone with less of an inner critic can laugh and shrug things off much easier.” Where the inner cri...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Bullying General Industrial and Workplace Mental Health and Wellness Self-Esteem Self-Help Stress Success & Achievement Embarrassment Guilt Insecurity Rumination Self-Doubt Shame shaming Social Anxiety Source Type: blogs