if job searching has been hurting more than it should

I know what it feels like to be seen as jobless, because the thing you're losing isn't just a job. It's the answer to "what have you been up to?" from the same people that ask again and again.

Not only are you searching for a job, you're searching for an identity.

If you're wondering why it hurts, you're not broken. It's just that nobody warned you that it would feel like this.