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Clinicians have long recognized that shame is an important characteristic of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and that it seems related to suicidality, self-harm, and rage and impulsivity. Some have even suggested that BPD is largely a chronic shame response. Still, no prior empirical studies have systematically examined shame in BPD patients. Shame, focusing on the global self and often leading to rage or avoidance, differs from guilt, which focuses on a specific behavior and allows reparative and empathic responses. Researchers in Germany compared levels of shame and anxiety in 60 women with BPD, 30 women with social phobia, and 60 healthy controls.
Word association tests, self-report measures, and vignettes of potential…