If you fear rejection, you are certainly not the only one who does. It is a rational desire to want to get along with your family, friends, and associates. However, when individuals are hurt by the people who matter the most, the experience can be painful. It can be paralyzing and make it difficult to want to venture out of their comfort zone to trust or love again.
While this experience is an unavoidable part of life, it's what we do after it that matters. Do we allow a fear of being rejected to evermore dominate and ruin our life, or do we learn from it and use the experience to help us interact with others?
Unfortunately, it isn't as easy simply ‘forgetting about it'. For some people, their rejection has wounded them so deeply it overrules their life, disabling them from fostering meaningful relationships with other people. This becomes an issue because we are all meant to make personal connections; it is impossible to live a life without it.
No person is an island. If we are unable to have harmonious relationships, how can we foster growth and love? The mind can cause bad experiences to develop into fears, which harms a person's ability to thrive in a mentally, healthy manner. Individuals who have a fear of rejection are not in touch with the healing powers of their mind.
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Are You Dominated by Any of The Following Issues?
According to research, those who are suffering from a fear of rejection tend to be dominated by the following issues.
Trust Issues
Trust issues prevent the development of potentially fruitful relationships, and it paves the way for anxiety to grow and thrive. Individuals who harbor a fear of rejection can have loose, light-hearted relationships, but they tend to steer away from deep-hearted relationships. They tend not to trust anyone for fear of being hurt over and over again.
Trust isn't just about being honest; it's also about 'emotional trust'. You need to be able to trust a person with your emotions. You need to be able to share your thoughts and feelings and know you won't be judged or hurt emotionally if you do.
Low Self-Esteem
People with a fear of rejection tend to have low self-esteem. They have an unrealistic viewpoint that they are not worthy of being a friend or lover. This ‘viewpoint' may be deeply hidden in the subconscious, and the person may not acknowledge or be fully consciously aware of it. Having low self-esteem can dominate and ruin their life because their subsequent expression stops them from potential opportunities and relationships.
Adjustment Issues
Those who have a fear of rejection may find it hard to grow in any type of relationship, be it a work or personal relationship. A poor adjustment may lead to poor-quality behavior, such as antagonism, which will not highlight them as being a nice person to get to know.
If you find these words describe how you feel about yourself or others, then recognition is the first step to healing. You need to guide yourself now to seek ways to end the vicious cycle of interpersonal mistrust.
You need to understand the internal process that is strengthening your fear of rejection. You need to name and identify the emotions and personal issues that are causing your emotional turmoil. You also need to understand the origin of your anxiety. While this process may seem straightforward for some, those with a fear of rejection will not find this process straightforward at all.
For example, there are some people who have experienced traumatic abandonment as a child. Identifying these emotions will bring up past memories that they have tried to bury and forget. Retrieving these painful memories will not be welcomed.
You need to be prepared to experience emotional distress and be true to yourself. By being true to yourself you will be able to start the self-healing and regeneration process. Your mind has the power to do it.
