Guilt and shame are two of the greatest obstacles to the experience of life to the fullest.  In the Bible, the book of Psalms records these words from King David,  “When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity…” Psalm 32: 3, 5a This verse was written at a time after David had committed adultery and murder.  It wasn’t the actual sins that plagued him, it was the cover-up.  David found that life was painful and a struggle when he kept things hidden and tried to pretend that nothing was wrong.  He even alludes to the fact that it affected him physically.  Many psychosomatic illnesses can be traced to suppressed feelings of guilt and shame over wrongs.  Ulcers,  heart disease, high blood pressure, even cancer have been linked to this kind of stress.