The shadow self is made of those parts of yourself that you keep hidden, because you’ve been taught to feel ashamed or unlovable because of them. The longer you ignore or neglect those parts of yourself, the stronger the shadow becomes, until you start seeing them every where you go and in everyone you meet. You feel like a fractured splinter, trying to only see part of yourself in the mirror and avoid the rest. The only way to live in peace with your shadow self and move towards growth is to integrate her and accept her as part of yourself, no matter how ugly. She will follow you and she will grow stronger until she is heard. Give a voice to the shame and grief you’ve been living with, acknowledge her pain, and she will become a quiet companion, instead of a raging firewall between you and a loving liberated life.