Why does rejection hurt so much physically?
When I was rejected by someone I really liked I felt actual physical pain in my chest. It wasn't just sadness it felt like a real physical hurt. Is this normal and why does rejection cause physical pain?
2 answers
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Brain scans show that social rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain. This is why it feels so real. We are wired to fear rejection because historically it meant survival risk.
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The chest pain you feel is real. Your body releases stress hormones after rejection that can cause physical symptoms including chest tightness.