I would still think it is better to face the reality of the situation and deal with whatever comes with it. Denying reality is unhealthy, psychologically speaking, and continued patterns of such behavior can really cause some problems down the line.
This does not mean one sits and cries for days on end and digs a hole and lives in it. No. It means to look seriously at what happened, learn from it and apply the knowledge to life ahead. You don't have to suffer in public, such as putting ashes on your face for suffering, but you are at least honest with your inner self. Every experience, even the very painful ones, lends to our maturity.