At 73, I still have occasional 'shame attacks.' But I'm learning to cope with them better.

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At 73, I'm the age when people are supposed to be wise elders, passing on their hard-earned insights to younger generations. Yet I'm still vulnerable to what's called a "shame attack," where a person is so overwhelmed by a sense of shame that they lose their bearings. The good news is I'm learning how to free myself from the powerful grip of shame within a few hours and get my sturdy self back.