Dear Stan,
Sorry for not getting back to you sooner.
Sin is sin and it damages the soul.
In the same way bullets and shrapnel damage the inside of fighting soldiers, so sin damages the soul of any person. If the soldier doesn't tell the doctor exactly where he has been hit by the bullets and shrapnel, the doctor can't help him to heal properly.
Whether they are mortal sins or venial sins; you should mention the sins as the Church would refer to them as sins. Don't worry about the embarrassment of mentioning certain sins; it goes with confessing your sins.
The goal: To mention the sins: short and simple, as you know the sinfulness of the sins to be.
There is no need to get scrupulous.
I'm not saying you are doing this but if a penitent starts sugar-coating sins by dumbing them down, an important sin may come across as something trivial to the Confessor.
Try to find a regular Confessor who can get to know you and who you can go to regularly. He can guide you better than any of us can (since none of us are priests) and can get to know you and your habits, good and bad.
My colleagues may have more to say.
I hope this helps,
Mike
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