Since we live in such a self-centered world, often we experience our first hurt as a child, and unfortunately, this early hurt usually comes from the people we love and respect the most. All our hurts are really some form of rejection. We may not perceive it as rejection initially, but that is what happens when we are wronged by others. We may feel hurt, pain, abandonment, embarrassment, hatred, or some other negative emotion. But it all relates to rejection . . .
Confused O ften our initial response to hurt, regardless of the form it takes, is confusion.
It is similar to being in a state of shock. In this stage we may think, This is not really happening. We may even have a physical reaction, such as a deep feeling of emptiness in the pit of the stomach. Many people have actually gotten sick after experiencing rejection. This stage is usually short-lived, and immediately, we move into the third stage.