Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) is the experience of severe emotional pain and distress related to feelings of failure and rejection. RSD is linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in addition to depression and anxiety. While RSD is not an official diagnosis within the DSM-5, it’s beginning to be researched at length.
If you struggle with RSD, it’s easy to feel misunderstood by others. People might imagine you’re being “dramatic” or “too sensitive” while you respond strongly to rejection, which truthfully finally ends up making you are feeling much more alone and less-than. After all, you’re deeply aware that your feelings are disproportionate to the situation; but knowing this doesn’t stop you from feeling it. RSD is frustrating and isolating, to say the least.
1. You are self-conscious as hell.
You’re easily embarrassed and feel as if you’re walking on eggshells throughout any and all social interactions. This is since you’re bracing yourself for what you think is inevitable: rejection.
As a result, you closely monitor every part you say in hopes you’ll be able to prevent being let down or left. This can result in over-apologizing and over-explaining yourself. And ultimately, all of this self-monitoring just leads you to being more self-conscious and anxious. And yet, you’ll be able to’t stop. It’s a vicious cycle.
2. You don’t consider in yourself.
If you will have RSD, you probably even have low self-esteem as well. Your self-trust is essentially non-existent. You struggle to see your price and what you bring to the table because you’re held hostage by memories or current experiences of rejection and loss. Your self-esteem is entirely depending on what other people take into consideration you. And when what they think is negative, you’re utterly devastated.
3. You’re absolutely terrified of failure.
Instead of getting something mistaken or failing as a chance to grow or perhaps even to try again, you’re crushed by it. And because you realize you change into undone by perceived (or real) failure, you’re utterly petrified of it. This fear can sometimes make you procrastinate. Alternatively, your fear of failure may also result in perfectionism and over-correction.
4. You self-isolate.
You go inward quite a bit and isolate yourself, even from the individuals who love and care about you most. You do that as a way of self-protection and to stop potential rejection. But all it really does is make you are feeling lonely and disconnected.
5. You get incredibly frightened when someone is brief via text.
Vague or short interactions make you spiral, akin to someone texting in a brief manner. While they might just be totally swamped at work or the conversation is of course coming to a detailed, you don’t see it that way. You take it as rejection, as an indicator that they don’t wish to discuss with you and don’t such as you.
6. You don’t handle criticism well.
You take any negative feedback as an indictment of your character. You internalize it. Even if the criticism is constructive and will even show you how to improve and grow, you never take it that way. You’re just wounded by it.
7. You people please.
You just wish to be loved, so that you overcompensate through people-pleasing behavior. This means you mostly say yes, even when the perfect thing for you is to say no. You bend over backward for people in an unnecessary and even self-destructive way. But since you’re so eager to be liked and accepted, you abandon yourself and your individual needs in favor of others’ needs and opinions. It’s exhausting and painful.
