Rejection hurts —

but it hurts most in romantic relationships.

Not a job interview.

Not a stranger.

But someone you care about — or want to care about you.

In this week’s Rejection Section, EMMY-winning producer Dr. Tom breaks down a landmark psychology study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that explains why small moments in relationships can feel devastating — and why your reactions might be driven by something called rejection sensitivity.

Rejection sensitivity is a learned protective pattern where the brain:

anxiously expects rejection,

quickly interprets ambiguous signals as personal rejection,

and then overreacts in ways that quietly sabotage connection.

And here’s the tragic twist:

those reactions often create the very relationship problems people fear most.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

💔 Why rejection feels more painful in romantic relationships than anywhere else

🧠 What rejection sensitivity really is — and why it’s not “neediness” or insecurity

⚠️ How neutral signals (silence, space, tone changes) get misread as rejection

🔁 Why fear-driven reactions can destabilize otherwise healthy relationships

💪 A simple, science-backed way to reduce rejection sensitivity without suppressing emotion

👉 If rejection in relationships ever makes you spiral, overinterpret, or pull away — this episode will help you understand what’s happening and how to respond differently.

🎙️Host: Dr. Tom — Instagram  | LinkedIn  | X 

🎧 Listen / 📺 Watch on:YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Instagram

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