In a recent article published by The Epoch Times, functional medicine practitioner Dr. Will Cole introduced a term that stopped me in my tracks: “shameflammation.” It describes the way chronic shame creates stress and inflammation in the body, often silently, and often for years.
We tend to lump shame in with other negative emotions like anger, fear, or sadness. But as Cole explains, shame is different. It doesn’t simply reflect something we did...it attacks who we believe we are.
Guilt says, “I made a mistake.”
Shame says, “I am the mistake.”
And the body responds accordingly.
According to research cited in The British Journal of Psychiatry, shame is a multidimensional emotion that affects the brain, the immune system, and our social behavior. When we experience shame—especially the kind that involves fear of judgment or exposure…the body reacts as if it’s under threat.
In fact, a landmark UCLA meta-analysis found that cortisol (the primary stress hormone) spikes most dramatically not during difficult tasks, but when people face public negative evaluation they can’t control. When participants were asked to perform tasks in front of stone-faced evaluators, cortisol levels surged nearly three times higher than in equally challenging tasks done privately.
Why does this matter?
Because shame doesn’t just activate stress—it fuels chronic inflammation.
In one study referenced in the Epoch Times article, participants who wrote about experiences of self-blame showed significant increases in inflammatory markers linked to autoimmune disease and chronic illness. Notably, guilt and general negative emotions didn’t cause the same reaction. Only shame did.
This helps explain why so many sensitive, capable women I work with are doing “everything right” on the surface – eating well, meditating, taking supplements – yet still feel anxious, exhausted, or unwell. Their bodies are carrying a deeper story.
Shame often forms early. Dr. Cole points to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) – such as neglect, emotional unpredictability, or lack of safety – as common roots. Children survive by internalizing blame, believing something must be wrong with them. That belief can linger long after the original environment has passed.
Over time, repeated stress responses make cortisol less effective at calming inflammation. The immune system stays on high alert, even when there’s no real threat. The body never truly rests.
This is why self-love isn’t a luxury or a mindset – it’s a biological necessity.
If you’re curious about how shame, stress, and self-relationship may be affecting your own system, the Loving Yourself Assessment offers a gentle place to begin. It’s not about fixing yourself—it’s about noticing where your body may still be bracing.
You can’t heal a body you hate.
But you can learn to listen to it.
