Unless they are very deep individuals, most people want to see superficial success and happiness. The truth is that the link between worldly wellbeing (good grades, career, hobbies, relationships, family, money, etc.) and genuine fulfilment is not conveniently correlated as we are led to believe. If anything, there can be an underlying 'silent scream' in establishing a successful life based around what other people say is good for you. It's the greatest scam ever perpetuated by a society, yet such people are forced to pretend that all is well just because they are comparatively lucky next to the less fortunate.
From what you describe, the feelings of shame could relate to past trauma or childhood neglect. A couple of things that can be investigated:
Emotion work: a skill that we are never taught is feeling emotions fully. If we label them as bad, the tendency is to repress them and distract ourselves, where they will eventually rot into something pathological. At the opposite extreme, indulging in the emotion is still not feeling it properly, instead turning it into a dramatic story. Only if the raw sensations are felt in the moment without resistance can they be 'digested' fully and will not linger long-term.
Authenticity: are you being brutally honest with yourself? This applies at many levels, from doing what is intrinsically true for you, being around the right people, right through to feeling what you feel rather than what you are told you 'should' feel.
Please disregard this if it doesn't resonate. But maybe it will be of use to someone.
