Shame Can Destroy a Person’s Life Shame is a devastating emotion which can destroy a person’s life if allowed to persist.  Feeling ashamed of what they’ve done, thought, felt, or fantasized about can lead a person to give up on themselves—to withdraw and isolate themselves from others, to sabotage their goals and dreams because they feel unworthy, to beat themselves up with constant negative self-talk and accusations. Left untreated, shame will fester in the subconscious mind and rob a person of their self-respect, self-confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, and self-care.  Suffering from shame often causes depression, self-loathing, and sometimes even a desire to escape the only way they know how—to commit suicide..