Your husband ditches you for a girl half his age after 23 years of marriage. The tenth job interview you’ve been on results in another ding letter. Your friends get together for a beer and don’t extend an invitation to you. We all endure rejection, but for us sensitive types, it can be devastating and the stings can last years or even an eternity. “Humans have a fundamental need to belong. Just as we have needs for food and water, we also have needs for positive and lasting relationships,” says C. Nathan DeWall, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Kentucky. Recent research finds that rejection has serious implications not only for a person’s psychological state, but also for a society in general. According to Kirsten Weir of the American Psychological Association, social rejection can influence emotion, cognition, and even physical health. How do you move on and believe in yourself after such heartbreak? Here are a few places to start. Continue reading …
