FEAR OF REJECTION

You expect to be left out before anyone's said a word.

 

What it looks like

You rehearse conversations. You read a short text as anger. You don't ask for things, because a no lands like a verdict on who you are. You might pull away first so nobody gets the chance.

 

Why it happens

Somewhere early, being rejected felt dangerous, not just sad. A child can't survive on their own, so the brain filed rejection as a threat and built a system to avoid it. That system is still on, decades later.

 

How RTT works on it

In session we go back to where that instruction was written. You see it with adult eyes, and we replace it with one that fits now: someone else's no is information, not a threat.

​