“Rejections can cause four distinct psychological wounds, the severity of which depends on the situation and our emotional health at the time. Specifically, rejections elicit emotional pain so sharp it affects our thinking, floods us with anger, erodes our confidence and self-esteem, and destabilizes our fundamental feeling of belonging”
According to Guy, Winch, “Being dumped by someone can cause such emotional pain and is comparable to that of being punched in the stomach or stabbed in the chest. True, few of us have actually been stabbed in the chest, but when psychologists asked people to compare the pain of rejection to physical pains they had experienced, they rated their emotional pain as equal in severity to that associated with natural childbirth and cancer treatments! As a counterpoint, consider that other emotionally painful experiences, such as intense disappointment, frustration, or fear, while highly unpleasant, pale in comparison to rejection when it comes to the sheer visceral pain they cause.”
From Emotional First Aid by Guy Winch, Ph.D
So…when I say, Love HURTS…what I mean is, do not be surprised when your body experiences physical PAIN as a result of being “dumped, discarded, or rejected” by your previous love partner. Not only will rejection hit you at the very core of who you are, throwing you off balance, effecting your mood AND your self esteem, you WILL FEEL the physical pain manifest itself somewhere in your body! The pain can contribute to negative self-talk, leading to a vicious cycle.
Remember, you HAVE been wounded deeply! We may wish, ‘time heals all wounds,’ However, there is NO magic in time passing. Time passes…and we can go around this merry-go-round of anniversary dates and memories that re-engage the “PAIN” or pain body triggers of rejection. Time is a precious commodity and may feel like ALL you you have right now. Take it, and spend it wisely. S L O W down and allow your body for now is the time, for “recovery,” and self care!
Reflections
Exercise taken from 
To be done every day for 30 days!
Pick up a small mirror, look into your own eyes, say your name and
“I love and accept you exactly as you are.”
Join us next Wednesday on this BLOG as we take a look at the Grieving Process. As your body recovers, and heals itself, you will also need to heal your emotions. Here is an overview of what we will be addressing:
