The 18 Stages of Feeling Left Out

By Britt Stephens

Updated on June 11, 2016 at 5:00 PM

Social media has made loneliness and FOMO so prevalent that it should probably be covered by health insurance. Researchers have found evidence that being excluded or ostracized has similar implications to suffering physical injury — and sadly, feeling left out is something we can all relate to, whether you weren't invited on a group vacation or just didn't get the memo about Sunday brunch. Here are 18 stages, from confusion to straight-up anger, that you likely go through when you're being shut out by friends.

01

You Scroll Through Instagram and See 1 of Your Friends Doing Something Fun — NBC

You Scroll Through Instagram and See 1 of Your Friends Doing Something Fun

02

Then You See a Second Friend Doing That Same Fun Thing — Bravo

Then You See a Second Friend Doing That Same Fun Thing

03

Suddenly a Third Friend Comes Forward Via Snapchat, Adding More Damning Evidence to Your Case — CBS

Suddenly a Third Friend Comes Forward Via Snapchat, Adding More Damning Evidence to Your Case

04

Then Guess Who Posts a Photo of Them All Together? Yep, That Fourth Friend

Then Guess Who Posts a Photo of Them All Together? Yep, That Fourth Friend

05

You Close All Your Social Media Apps and Take a Deep Breath, Figuring It's Just Some Crazy Coincidence — NBC

You Close All Your Social Media Apps and Take a Deep Breath, Figuring It's Just Some Crazy Coincidence

06

But Then You Remember Asking That First Friend What They Were up to This Weekend and They Said "Nothing" — Fox

But Then You Remember Asking That First Friend What They Were up to This Weekend and They Said "Nothing"

07

You Start Mentally Putting the Pieces Together and Realize You've Been Left Out — NBC

You Start Mentally Putting the Pieces Together and Realize You've Been Left Out

08

You Feel the Heat Rising in Your Face and the Stomp Being Released From Your Foot — Fox

You Feel the Heat Rising in Your Face and the Stomp Being Released From Your Foot

09

You Start Wondering What You Ever Did to Deserve This Lack of Companionship — Comedy Central

You Start Wondering What You Ever Did to Deserve This Lack of Companionship

10

Then Your Hurt Feelings Turn to Straight-Up Anger — The Weinstein Company

Then Your Hurt Feelings Turn to Straight-Up Anger

11

It Doesn't Even Matter Because You, Like, Barely Liked Them Anyway, So — MTV

It Doesn't Even Matter Because You, Like, Barely Liked Them Anyway, So

12

Just When You Start Brainstorming What Kind of Petty Sh*t You Can Do to Make Yourself Feel Better . . .

Just When You Start Brainstorming What Kind of Petty Sh*t You Can Do to Make Yourself Feel Better . . .

13

. . . You Realize How Crazy You're Acting and Can't Believe How Emotional You Let Yourself Get — E!

. . . You Realize How Crazy You're Acting and Can't Believe How Emotional You Let Yourself Get

14

You Remind Yourself That You're a Really Good Friend

You Remind Yourself That You're a Really Good Friend

15

And That You're Pretty Fun to Be Around — Fox

And That You're Pretty Fun to Be Around

16

So If Other People Can't See That, It's Their Problem, Not Yours — Logo

So If Other People Can't See That, It's Their Problem, Not Yours

17

You Settle Back Onto the Couch, Put On Some Music, and Pick Up Your Book — NBC

You Settle Back Onto the Couch, Put On Some Music, and Pick Up Your Book

18

Then You Realize You Wanted a Quiet Day at Home and Would Have Said "No" to Their Invite Anyway

Then You Realize You Wanted a Quiet Day at Home and Would Have Said "No" to Their Invite Anyway

Oops. False alarm.