Feel threatened or hurt or hurt refers to the feeling that you are at risk of being harmed or that someone is trying to harm you. This is a natural response to a potential threat and it serves as a vital protective mechanism that keeps us from being caught off guard by something dangerous.

When we think of things that can threaten our safety, a variety of emotions are activated including fear, anxiety, and anger. There are also physiological responses such as pupil dilation and an increased heart rate. Feeling threatened or hurt can have a huge impact on work and relationships. It can result in workplace violence or other forms of aggression such as verbal or written threats to harm another person or property.

Navigating Emotional Minefields: What to Do When You Feel Threatened or Hurt

Understanding how our brain became so vigilant and wary, so easily hijacked by alarm, can be the first step to gaining more control over those ancient circuitry and being able to distinguish between real threats and exaggerated or unhelpful alarms. By practicing a mindfulness practice, you can train yourself to be less reactive and more calm in challenging situations.

In one study that measured both pain intensity and unpleasantness as well as threat value of pain, results indicated that social threat predicted a greater desire to administer painful stimuli to the confederate than did the presence or absence of a provocation. This effect was also mediated by increased anger and decreased empathy. However, neither social threat nor pain catastrophizing, nor their interaction, significantly predicted painful facial expression.