Rejection Hurts: What to Do

When someone rejects you they acquire power in your mind.  They acquire power due to their ability to inflict pain.  The more they hurt you the harder it is to let go.  This is the painful paradox of abandonment. 

“Why does it take so long to get over it?” people ask.  Those suffering from rejection judge themselves harshly for not being able to feel better sooner.  They beat themselves up for feeling so weak and needy.  They feel this so called “weakness” is proving their abandoner right for rejecting them.  

People going through abandonment lose self-esteem this way.  They beat themselves up for losing the person.  They conclude that they must be reject able, valueless, unworthy.  They shame themselves for pining and yearning and wanting someone who has hurt them so badly. 

They turn the rage over being rejected against themselves, beating themselves up, causing themselves to plummet into a painful depression, damaging their self-esteem further.  Having disqualified themselves as worthy of love, they are panicked over fearing that they will wind up dieing alone.  The anxiety seems unbearable and bottomless. 

That’s why abandonment grief feels like a terminal illness.  People are afraid they will die of their wounds – that is, die anxious, worthless, and alone.  Whew, a painful depression!  And it lags on.   

What to do: 

First and foremost, stop berating yourself for feeling so miserable – and for the length of time it is taking you to get over it.  It’s only in the movies that people recover so quickly.  It’s only in the movies that people just get mad, burn their ex’s clothes, and walk away triumphant.  In real life, people pine away for long periods of time, but they are too ashamed to admit to most people.  So when it happens to you, you think you’re taking too long, but this ongoing pain is how men and women alike react to rejection. 

Second: Rejection is a painful laceration that takes time and effort to heal. You must replace your ex with a love of your wounded inner child.  Treat your hurt feelings not with self-criticism, but as a cherished child that it is your new job to take exquisite care of.  Physician, tend thy own wound. 

Third:  Getting over someone is all about time management.  Recognize that this is your full time job.  Time management is pain management.  Discover what things help you the most and do them more.  What parts of the day are the most painful?  Plan them differently.  Your new priority is time management and it involves creativity and taking initiative. 

Fourth: Get into therapy or support groups or both.  Abandonment opens you up to the core.  It’s like exploratory surgery – but now that your chest cavity has been splayed wide open, why not go in and clean up the wound.  Question some of your false assumptions about yourself and your life.  Do your emotional spring cleaning. 

Fifth:  Use your friends.  Yes, I know, the heartbreak has dragged on so long, they are sick of listening to you.  You can tell because they’re beginning to say things like “You need to let go and move forward,” not taking into account the fact that you are already doing everything in your power to let go and move forward, but you just can’t.  You’re miserably stuck, which is the whole POINT they’re missing.

Never mind, just ask them for patience and forbearance.  Explain that you need their companionship, you need to talk, you need more support.  Explain that you’ll be there for them when they need you.  If you’ve been a good friend to them over the years, they owe you one already.

Sixth:  Add new things into your life.  Enlarge your circle of friends and activities.  Explore your alter ego states.  Again this involves creativity and taking initiative. You have to join new things, especially activities where you will be around other people.

Seventh: Re-acquaint yourself with old friends and family.  This is reunion time.  You can tell them all about the breakup and the transitional period this has thrust you into.  Tell them you are reconnecting your past with your present and want to meet up with them to reconnect.  This has a wonderfully healing impact

Eighth:  Go on a self-improvement plan.  Some people go to pot.  They let themselves go.  Do the opposite of that.  Become your best self.  Join a gym, take up jogging, yoga, philanthropy, journaling, go back to school, move, change jobs, etc.  

Ninth:  Be determined to turn this painful period into a positive experience.  As a result of your efforts you become your higher self. 

Tenth: As our higher self emerges, consider making new love connections again.  This time, however, look for partners who are more emotionally safe to attach to.  And don’t clamp on to anyone at first.  Take your time, play the field, lead from your newly acquired wisdom rather than your old patterns.