Most of us want to avoid pain, but suffering is a part of life. In Buddhism, the First Noble Truth states that in life, there is suffering. There is no getting around it. We all experience setbacks, get our feelings hurt, lose loved ones, and sometimes fail at attempted endeavors. If we fight the resulting emotions, we suffer even more. It’s okay to suffer once in a while. It’s part of being human and can provide opportunities for growth.
Sufferers of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) often have severe fear of rejection, which becomes the culprit in anxiety proliferation. We all are rejected at one time or another and it hurts. It hurts even more if we try to block out the pain and pretend it doesn’t bother us.
Experience and accept the pain. Embrace your sadness. Cry if you feel like it. Crying actually is a built in survival mechanism that kills pain by stimulating the release of endorphins in the brain. Let the pain run its course and then get on with your life.
