April 30, 2024

34: SOS. I'M GOING DOWN THE SHAME SPIRAL

49 minutes

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Hey there Doctor Humans! In this episode, we discuss shame spirals, a common experience for many people, especially those in the medical field.

But first,

We fell off our chairs reading Linda's poem from social media and, admittedly, in the awe we realised we had not sought permission to share her poem on the podcast. We connected with Linda after our recording and to our delight she was happy for us to keep it in the recording for you all to experience.

If you too are impressed with Linda's communication through poem, there's more where that came from. If we hadn't already been stunned by the poem, it would be more surprising to learn that Dr. Linda (Smith) Appiah-Kubi is actually a communication expert in healthcare.

While we cannot confirm if advanced communication through poem is included in her courses for doctors, if you're a doctor who appreciates that our communication skills can dramatically enhance our patient's experiences, Dr Appiah-Kubi's organisation, Clear and Connected can offer you the upskilling that you seek.

Clear and Connected by Dr Appiah-Kubi:

Website: https://bit.ly/4b2y2fy

Instagram: https://bit.ly/3y5WM7K

Linked in: https://bit.ly/4dg2OTr

Episode Summary:

Shame spirals are common occurrences, especially for doctors who may experience feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, and vulnerability due to the nature of their work.

Shame spirals can be debilitating and lead to a cycle of negative thoughts and emotions.

The key to overcoming a shame spiral is to identify the source of the shame and understand the thoughts associated with it.

We share personal stories of shame spirals we've experienced in their careers.

Becc explains the difference between a shame spiral and processing a difficult experience. Shame spirals involve stacking negative stories on top of the initial experience, whereas processing an experience involves understanding the emotions and learning from them.

Kristeen used a mindfulness technic called grounding to help her connect with the world around her in the present moment. This was a great example of how using mindfulness doesn't have to look like sitting cross-legged in silence but she engaged in sensory experiences like smelling candles to make her mindfulness more enjoyable yet effective.

Becc explains the concept of mood-congruent memory bias, which is the tendency to recall memories that reinforce the emotions we are currently feeling. Shame spirals can worsen this bias.

Shame can be a signal that something needs to be addressed, but it's important to go beyond the surface-level thoughts and identify the deeper beliefs that are causing the shame.

By meeting the reality of the shame experience and challenging the negative thoughts associated with it, we can break free from the shame spiral and move forward.

Share your experiences with shame spirals and what's worked and not worked for you!

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By Doctor Becc and Kristeen Barker