Why does rejection hurt so deeply—and why does it seem to linger longer for those of us with anxious attachment?

In today’s episode of The Anxious Attachment Solution, I’m diving into why rejection feels so devastating, how our brain and nervous system respond to it, and what actually keeps us stuck in pain long after the rejection happens.

This year, rejection became deeply personal for me when my sister did not attend my wedding because I am gay. While whether someone agrees with her beliefs isn’t the point of this episode, the experience opened my eyes to a type of rejection we rarely talk about: family and friendship rejection. The kind of rejection layered with history, shared memories, love, and grief.

We often focus on rejection in romantic relationships and breakups, but we don’t talk enough about the grief that ...