The Hidden Affects Of Religious Dogma Part Five

You Experience Chronic Guilt or Shame shows as Self-Interrogation

You constantly feel bad about your thoughts, actions, or identity—even when not harming anyone. The idea that you're inherently "sinful" or "broken" keeps you stuck in self-blame.
Religion teaches that you are inherently evil and broken, so you must be born again and spend the rest of your life living in a way that is right so that you don't piss god off!
Even after you are "born again," you take on the identity that you are a "sinner saved by grace." You live your life to please god. You only take action if it's god's will. These ideas that you adopt about yourself further diminish your inherent identity as a person who came into the world free from shame and judgment.
You have left the church, yet you constantly question yourself after every decision.

Self-interrogation ensues after every action you take.
"Did I say the right thing?"
"Did I do the right thing?"
"Did I make the right decision?"
"Did I move to the right place?"
"Maybe I shouldn't've said that?"
"Did I introduce myself in the right way?"

Even when you haven't harmed anyone, self-interrogation becomes your enemy.
 

How does this negatively impact your life?
*You don't trust your intuition.
*You ignore what your bodily sensations are telling you about what you think about your decisions.
*For you, making decisions is a daunting task. The constant self-interrogation leaves you frozen, unable to move forward.
*You don't allow yourself to speak exactly what you desire.

Personally, I decided to be conscious of the thoughts and questions roaming my mind when addressing how I felt and viewed myself. After taking action in my life, I made a conscious effort to take stock of the thoughts that came into my mind. This practice has helped me overcome self-blame and negative self-talk, and I know it can do the same for you.
After taking action in my life, I decided to take stock of the thoughts that came into my mind.
Remember, you have the power to overcome this. It's a practice, like activating a muscle you've never used before. But you can do it.

One way to practice self-awareness is to pay attention to your thoughts and bodily sensations during the most mundane daily tasks. Consider the following:

Are your thoughts empowering you?

Is your body restricting or expanding?

Are the questions you ask yourself from shame or guilt, or are they leading you to expansive solutions?

By answering these questions, you can start to recognize and overcome self-blame and negative self-talk.