Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria: Everything You Need to Know

No one likes being rejected. Whether your current employer is criticizing you or your baseball team is rejecting you for any reason, you will ultimately feel disappointed and out of place. What if the people you love reject you?

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is one of the symptoms of ADHD– Click the button below to book your consultation and get it diagnosed and treated. 

Everyone gets disappointed by rejection. But as time goes by, we shake off the rejection and move on with life.

Nonetheless, not everyone can shake off rejection that easily. Some people can’t handle rejections, and thus they tend to develop RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria). This condition can trigger many adverse severe reactions. 

Whereas RSD may exhibit similar symptoms to those in various mental conditions, many people tend to misdiagnose or overlook this condition.

However, this condition is a real problem that can potentially affect anyone. Persons with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) stand a high risk of RSD due to their inability to manage their emotions.

Therefore, it is imperative to understand RSD to help you diagnose the condition at early stages and differentiate RSD from other mental disorders.

You will find any possible questions about RSD in this guide such as: 

• How does RSD affect your life?
• How can you differentiate RSD from other common mental disorders?
• What are the possible treatment options for RSD?
• Why is it that persons who have ADHD are highly vulnerable to RSD?

What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

Humans have a concern about other people perceiving them in a likable manner. However, this tendency can gradually become a preoccupation for some individuals, a habit known as RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria). However, not everyone can accept your attempts to perceive you in a friendly manner.

Therefore you may develop sensitivity to criticism. In the long run, the reaction to rejection can lead to extreme discomfort, resulting in long-lasting effects regarding self-shame, low self-esteem, and failures. 

The term Dysphoria initially came from a Greek word that means hard to bear. Anybody with RSD can’t put up with rejection. Such persons get irritated whenever another person disapproves of them or criticizes them.

RSD is way different from the standard response to rejection. Such normal rejection disappears with time. 

You will get a complete analysis of this condition in this guide, including its possible causes and symptoms. 

1. Signs of RSD 

The DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual) of mental disorders don’t recognize RSD as a mental disorder. Thus, this condition isn’t in the category of mental illnesses.

Nonetheless, its symptoms are similar to conditions that are classified as mental disorders.

Here are the symptoms of RSD.

• Aggressive reaction to any type of rejection 
• Being extremely sensitive to possible rejection or fear of failure 
• Instant feeling of guilt and shame when you fail to perform to your expectations 
• Reacting in rage or anger towards criticism and judgment from other people 
• Social withdrawal as a way of avoiding rejection 
• Exhibiting approval-seeking behavior
• Low self-esteem and exhibiting a need to get validation from other people 
• Misinterpretation or overreaction to facial expressions 

2. High Rejection Sensitivity Vs. High Anger 

Rejection sensitivity has two significant effects on persons suffering from this condition. First, the victim will become anxious or react with anger.

The patterns of RSD entail specific symptoms or behaviors that include:

1. High Anger

• An instant outburst of anger or hostility 
• Feeling the urge to revenge on someone who criticizes or rejects you 
• Self-harming or aggressive behavior towards another individual or yourself

2. High Anxiousness

• Avoiding any situations that pose possible rejection 
• Withdrawal from people and situations that may lead to rejection
• Having repetitive thoughts about an experience of rejection 

3. What Are the Factors That Cause RSD?

The factors that lead to RSD can vary significantly among persons suffering from this condition. A common explanation of RSD is that the condition usually develops in response to neglect or rejection that a person undergoes in their early years. 

Kids with overly critical parents or parents who neglect them have high chances of becoming highly sensitive to rejection later in their lives. A kid may exhibit signs of fear of neglect in the future due to bad parental relationships. 

Other possible factors that may cause RSD in children include being bullied by fellow students at school.

People who experienced criticism or rejection from their partners in their previous relationships are likely to develop RSD. Psychologists are also studying the possibility of whether genetic factors run in families.

4. Persons Who Are at High Risk of RSD

Persons who suffer from mental-related illnesses are at higher risk of RSD than persons that don’t have any mental conditions. Some psychological disorders can heighten the reaction to rejection among persons with RSD compared to ordinary people. 

1. Anxiety 

Anxiety makes people sensitive to rejection and criticism. Anxious people can quickly become people-pleasers since they can’t put up with adverse reactions from other people.

Click the button below to book a consultation with a mental health expert if you exhibit similar behavior.

Rejection from other people can lead to anxiety and even worsen anxiety among people experiencing rejection.

 

2. ADHD/ADD

There exists a strong relationship between hypersensitivity to rejection and ADHD. Most people with ADHD are susceptible to relationships with loved ones who constantly criticize or reject them.

They cannot even handle the slightest criticism or rejection from their loved ones. Thus, they are most likely to react to criticism and rejection from all quarters. 

3. ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

This brain disorder’s primary symptoms include abnormal social skills, communication problems, behavioral and learning issues. Persons who have ASD have difficulty expressing their emotions and understanding social cues.

They express heightened sensory reactions, which causes extreme sensitivity to criticism. 

How Does Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Affect Your Life?

RSD might sound like a less intensive mental disorder. Nonetheless, the impact of this condition on your life can be highly stressful. This condition doesn’t necessarily occur due to rejection.

RSD also occurs due to possible perception of any behaviors that you may perceive to be a rejection. You could, for instance, think that your partner is cheating on you if they are constantly ignoring you or if they cease to value your existence. 

But in the real sense, your partner could be busy working on other essential things. Extreme sensitivity to rejection [1*] can make it difficult for you to move forward in your life.

Most people will continue thinking about rejection for the better part of their lives.  Finally, they will develop a vicious cycle of thoughts that will ultimately lead to physical discomfort. 

If you get to such a point in your life, you will most likely develop low self-esteem or frustrations due to your inability to handle such negative feelings. 

Here are some possible effects that RSD can have on your life in the long run:

1. A Constant Need for Approval

The constant need for approval from other people is a significant factor in RSD. It is a reaction to ongoing rejection by other people that may prompt you to please them at the expense of your comfort.

The Journal of Personality & Social Psychology recently published a report indicating that men suffering from RSD are likely to exhibit behaviors that make them likable by other people.

The study further suggests that both men and women tend to respond to rejection excessively. Thus, they adopt certain behaviors that focus on lowering the possibility of rejection.

Men and women suffering from RSD will, for instance, make an extra effort to be part of a group or society that rejected them.  

2. Problems Making New Connections 

You are less likely to make new connections or sustain existing relationships if you are a victim of rejection sensitivity. A person suffering from high rejection sensitivity may accuse their spouse of cheating, which further hampers their interactions with their spouse.

This consistent lack of communication may lead to the end of the relationship. 

People who fear facing rejection may be hesitant to make new connections. This behavior could prompt them to isolate themselves from other people. It only proves that their fear of rejection is becoming a reality, and they will be more sensitive to rejection. 

There is a recent study on the effects of the intensity of rejection on behavior trends among women. The study results demonstrated that women with fear of rejection strived to improve themselves by increasing their contact with other people. 

The study confirms that women who are severely rejected are less likely to change their people-pleasing behavior.

3. RSD Affects Both Adolescents and Adults 

RSD usually begins in the teenage years. A teenager who is undergoing rejection sensitivity is likely to have severe problems in adulthood, especially when they need to make new connections or improve their careers. 

According to a study that Children Maltreatment Journal published recently, adolescent girls vulnerable to RSD are at high risk of victimization. 

Adults suffering from RSD also misinterpret the reactions and events of other people since they quickly become highly sensitive about being rejected. Rejection sensitivity affects their relationships, and hence they experience constant relationship problems.

Moreover, RSD-prone adults are likely to develop trust issues.

4. RSD Also Contributes to Other Mental Illnesses 

Rejection can threaten your sense of belonging and also affect your mental health severely. Your mental health will eventually decline if you are facing constant rejection.

Research shows that people suffering from RSD stand a high risk of mental illnesses such as borderline personality disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, loneliness, and anxiety. RSD can also lead to avoidant personality disorder and social phobia.

RSD and Brain Functioning 

People who experience extreme rejection sensitivity have specific parts of their brains activated once they look at another person’s face in a way that displays disapproval. This is according to research conducted on social neuroscience and brain imaging. 

People who are extremely sensitive to rejection usually experience suppression in their middle brain’s area and their anterior cingulate gyrus, popularly known as ACG or the human brain gear shifter. This finding was done according to research by Amen Clinic.

Amen Clinic is the largest database of numerous brain scans in the world. The suppression of ACG is usually linked with a person’s tendency to stick with worries and negative thoughts. 

The Link Between Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and ADHD

ADHD makes it difficult for you to remain still, pay attention and focus on any tasks. There is a strong connection between RSD and ADHD. Many victims of ADHD are also sensitive to what other people think about them.

They also fear losing relationships with loved ones due to emotional instability.

About 99% of teenagers and adults who have ADHD are susceptible to rejection. A combination of ADHD with RSD can lead to extreme emotions even when you haven’t experienced rejection in the first place. 

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Let’s explore all the possible answers to the connection between RSD and ADHD in this guide. 

• What Is ADHD?

It is a brain disorder that affects how a person controls their behavior, pays attention, and performs their everyday activities. You could have possibly heard about ADD.

However, that was an old term that was used to refer to today’s ADHD.  The term is now replaced with ADHD.

ADHD is common in children, although it progresses to teenage and adulthood years. ADHD is the most commonly overlooked neurodevelopmental condition. ADHD symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and problems focusing on something.

Apart from these symptoms, this mental disorder is characterized by other sub-symptoms such as:

• Daydreaming
• Oversensitivity
• Fidgeting
• Difficulty interacting with others

• Hypersensitivity as a Symptom of ADHD

Hypersensitivity entails being sensitive to physical stimuli such as smell, touch, light, and sound. Hypersensitivity can make you feel overwhelmed by excess information.

It is a common symptom of ADHD, and it can make sufferers of ADHD hypersensitive to rejection.

Michele Novotni, a reputable American psychologist, notes that most of her ADHD clients are emotionally sensitive. She notes that patients who have ADHD demonstrate higher sensitivity to rejection than other people.

Such persons have hypersensitive reactions as a result of their sensitivity to rejection. 

People with ADHD have hypersensitivity since birth. Hypersensitivity in such persons can be kept at bay by improving ADHD patients’ function and balancing their responses.

Counseling is also helpful for such patients since it can enable them to handle their hypersensitivity.

Here are some easy ways to help you combat hypersensitivity if you are an ADHD patient.

• Try to choose the events that address your temperament
• Don’t occupy yourself with anything too difficult for you to handle.
• Have a good sleep to freshen and calm down your mind 
• Practice daily relaxation methods such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing to combat your hypersensitivity 
• Analyze the situations that arouse you emotionally 

• RSD in ADHD 

When analyzing the relationship between ADHD and RSD, it isn’t given that people with ADHD will always have RSD.  ADHD sufferers are, however, at a high risk of developing sensitivity to rejection. 

The main reason why ADHD patients are at an increased risk of RSD is that the central nervous system of such persons works differently from other people. 

Furthermore, persons who have ADHD may exhibit behaviors that make them appear weird in the eyes of other people. For instance, some kids with ADHD may suffer from rejection from other kids because of their constant interrupting behavior. 

Also, adults with ADHD may constantly get off track during staff meetings. Thus, these situations may lead to problems that ADHD sufferers start sensing they are being rejected. 

If you have ADHD, you experience impulsivity which can prompt you to stop interacting with others. Long-term impulsivity may lead to extreme emotional upset. You may start to think you are repeatedly facing rejection from other people. 

The treatment options for ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria are similar- Click the button below to schedule an appointment with an ADHD expert.

• How Does ADHD Impact RSD?

ADHD is a mental condition that is closely linked with RSD. Persons with ADHD usually experience painful feelings of rejection. Such feelings can ruin their self-esteem and result in loneliness and withdrawal.

Here are the three ways that ADHD can make you more vulnerable to RSD:

1. Challenges With Controlling Emotions 

Emotional disruptions are the most dangerous characteristics of ADHD among people of all ages. Many persons with ADHD report experiencing tense feelings and usually have problems relaxing or resting, particularly in social situations and personal interactions. 

Children with ADHD also experience delays in emotional development, and hence they can experience social rejection as a result of this, particularly in their adolescent years. 

In some youngsters, emotional disruptions resulting from ADHD can lead to a hot temper, intolerance, excitability, and impatience. All these side effects can negatively impact relationships. 

2. Problems With Working Memory 

Working memory is essential in helping a young person analyze criticism. They can utilize working memory to analyze past criticism and experiences, and hence such experiences won’t hurt them in any way. 

However, persons with ADHD have problems with working memory. These people can’t use their working memory to deal with past criticism and experiences. 

They experience momentary emotions as a result of perceived criticism. They get intense emotions once such transient emotions flood their brains. 

Such emotions can suppress crucial information that the victim needs to regulate their feelings and eliminate resulting negative behaviors.

3. Heightened Levels of Anxiety 

Anxiety is a common characteristic of ADHD, particularly in teenagers and children. Children and teenagers suffering from anxiety are likely to experience social anxiety in their lives. 

Young people living with ADHD may experience an exaggerated fear of being perceived as unappealing and incompetent by other people. Thus, such youngsters would be hypersensitive to criticism. They will see criticism even when it doesn’t exist.

RSD Vs. BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder)

Most people mistake RSD for BPD. The emotional signs of BPD are the core symptoms of this disorder. Therefore, the new term for BPD in this context refers to an emotionally unstable personality disorder( EUPD).

If you are emotionally unstable, you will be likely to be sensitive to any form of perceived or actual rejection. 

Long-term sensitivity to rejection can place a person at a high risk of developing BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). Let’s see what exactly BPD is and how it is closely related to RSD in this chapter. 

• What Is BPD?

Research shows that about 1.4% of adults in the US suffer from BPD, one of the top ten most common personality disorders. Unstable and intense emotions characterize this personality disorder.

Persons who have this personality disorder are vulnerable to strong emotional reactions and impulsive actions, making it hard for them to maintain relationships.

Persons with BPD rarely see the universe in other shades. According to these persons, they see everything either as good or bad or as black or white. This is also how they perceive their family and friends.

They are either a hated enemy or a beloved person. They can rapidly shift from one person to the other. 

BPD also entails excessively impulsive behavior and paranoid thoughts increased sensitivity to rejection and hostility. These symptoms can easily vary from being mild, moderate to severe.

Persons with BPD also experience bouts of mood disorders, extreme sadness, anxiety, and unstable social and family relationships. 

• Interaction Between BPD and RSD 

BPD may develop due to childhood experiences. People with RSD are likely to develop BPD as a result of childhood experiences of rejection.

Simply put, we can imply that childhood rejection, especially emotional neglect and abuse, seems to be closely related to rejection sensitivity. Hence, RSD is related to BPD. 

Persons with BPD usually have an unstable self-image. They feel unsatisfied or uncomfortable when another person gets close to them. They also fear abandonment when another person walks away from them, thanks to their unstable attitude.

In this process of pushing and pulling, these people become highly manipulative to balance their emotions.

There are many psychiatrists confusing RSD with BPD while diagnosing these two mental conditions, thanks to their echoing similarities. A study on the relationship between these two mental disorders shows that RSD can lead to BPD [2*] .

However, rejection sensitivity isn’t the only factor that describes rage in BPD. Nonetheless, rejection sensitivity seems to be a crucial factor in this case. 

RSD in Relationships

Every human being has a strong desire for belongingness. We all want to maintain strong bonds with other people.  Anything that seems to threaten this fact can become a psychological alarm bell.

Relationships are the most affected part of life for anyone suffering from RSD. 

It makes sense that a person may become defensive if they suffer rejection from others.  Thus, they will be vigilant and cautious before allowing new people into their life.

This attitude can cause serious relationship problems as RSD becomes intense in such a person when dealing with a new partner. Let’s explore how RSD affects relationships in this chapter.

• It Can Derail Your Relationship With Your Partner

Persons with RSD are likely to make conclusions fast when they are in a relationship. They might conclude that their partner is showing intentional rejection, other than considering possible reasons they disagree with their partner. 

A recent study was commissioned on a group of couples to assess the impact of RSD in intimate relationships.

The participants were requested to name at least three of their partners’ hypothetical behaviors, including being intolerant, calm, and spending time with their spouses.

The study results showed that participants with RSD were likely to mistake their partners’ behaviors as malicious intent. 

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria gives rise to many other mental health disorders– Click the button below to get the root cause treated.

RSD can make you over-focus on perceived slight situations. For instance, you may overthink why your partner is taking too long to message you back. Or, you may conclude that your partner is ignoring you.

This oversensitivity to rejection makes a person isolate themselves from their loved ones in the long run. 

• RSD and Irrational Jealousy 

Irrational jealousy is a style of thinking where a person perceives and analyzes a situation negatively and makes assumptions based on the negative evaluation. Such beliefs are usually as fear of losing their partner to someone else.

RSD tends to heighten irrational jealousy as you can easily suspect that another person who is close to your partner’s life to be a rival. 

Your irrational jealousy coupled with RSD can make you believe that your perceived opponent makes your partner show rejection. Irrational jealousy can be harmful in some extreme cases.  

This unexpected harm can be directed outwards, with behaviors such as endless fights with your partner. Or, it could be directed inward, whereby your mental peace will be affected in the long run. 

• Behaviors That Strain Relationships and Satisfaction

Partners of persons with RSD are highly likely to be dissatisfied with their relationship because of their partners’ heightened sensitivity towards any possible causes of rejection.

Rejection-sensitive persons also exaggerate their partner’s dissatisfaction, which occurs due to problematic behaviors of persons with RSD.

Furthermore, the behavior of persons with RSD affects their relationships in many ways. According to two American psychiatrists, Feldman and Downey noted both men and women with RSD show different behaviors that could strain their respective associations.  

The two psychiatrists note that men with RSD are likely to indulge in jealous behaviors, restricting their partner’s friendly relationships. Such behaviors usually lead to violence in the long run.

Women with RSD, on the other hand, tend to display actions that demonstrate hostility against their spouses. They also fail to support their spouses emotionally.

The hate in women with RSD can manifest itself in non-verbal disapproval and negative comments. Such behaviors make women less concerned about their relationships.

RSD in Children

RSD also affects kids. RSD in children is deep-rooted. RSD that stems from childhood can cause long-lasting psychological effects late in life.  In addition, RSD that starts in a person’s childhood can cause damaging behaviors that suppress normal functioning.

When handling RSD, the person suffering from RSD and their counselor must address the childhood causes of this mental disorder in a more detailed way.  

Let’s explore the behavior that exists in RSD persons due to rejection in their childhood years. 

• RSD, Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, and Self-Esteem 

Childhood rejection, may it be from parents, peers, and loved ones, can ruin your self-esteem. A kid may have little or no confidence in herself due to childhood rejection. 

Therefore, they will develop a specific belief that they cannot achieve anything, including things that even a below-average person can accomplish.

This low self-esteem can proceed later in their lives, ultimately preventing the person with this level of low self-esteem from achieving their social and personal goals.

RSD reinforces the false beliefs that the person will automatically face rejection. Thus, experiencing childhood rejection will have a long-lasting consequence as sensitivity to rejection will convince you that such false beliefs are valid. Later in life, you will face difficulties in forming new relationships and maintaining existing relationships.

• RSD and Psychological Development

Erik Erickson is the originator of the psychosocial development theory.  His view holds an integral part in psychology since it helps people understand how psychological development occurs in kids. 

Erick’s theory explains eight stages that a person undergoes from their childhood to adulthood.  His first two stages of his psychosocial development theory are trust vs. mistrust and autonomy vs. shame and doubt. These two stages are linked to RSD. 

Kids will develop mistrust if they learn that no one is ready to meet their emotional needs during their formative childhood years. The kid will develop guilt and shame in their second year of development if they are forced to feel bad about their world. 

If parents don’t successfully resolve these stages, their kids won’t proceed with their lives and manage other stages of their psychological development. In addition, they will develop further mistrust, ultimately affecting their future relationships.

The continued feeling of doubt and shame will make the kid believe that they can’t act in a manner that convinces others to treat them better. 

• Questionnaires of Children Rejection Sensitivity 

It can be challenging to recognize rejection sensitivity in kids since kids can’t fully explain how they feel about rejection like their adult counterparts would do.

That’s why we use kid’s rejection sensitivity questionnaires to assess whether a kid is highly sensitive to rejection or not. 

These questionnaires consist of statements that indicate a scenario whereby a kid is asked to describe what they would do if they were to face criticism.

Furthermore, every piece of information in the questionnaire offers options that indicate the intensity of the specific response.  

An excellent example of a situation to include in the kid’s rejection sensitivity question would be; imagine you were involved in a terrible fight with one of your friends. 

And you now have a severe problem that you wish the friend you fought with will listen to the problem. You make up your mind to talk to your friend after classes.

You wonder whether your friend will be willing to speak to you. Would you feel nervous right then concerning whether your friend will be ready to listen and talk about your problem? 

Diagnosing and Treating RSD

It is not easy to live with RSD. A person has to struggle with the overwhelming distress that comes with the condition.  Persons who try to please others to avoid rejection usually end up dealing with frustrations and self-denial.

Although the pain that comes with rejection can hurt you, this pain isn’t permanent. But imagine a situation when rejections turn out to be a nightmare, and you can’t overcome the fear of rejection.

In this case, it’s essential to solve the problem as quickly as possible. 

You must watch for the signs of RSD to successfully diagnose this mental disorder. Visit a psychologist or a counselor if you notice you have any signs of this condition.

A professional psychologist or counselor can help examine the symptoms of RSD, which entails conducting psychological and physical tests. This chapter will provide you with information that relates to treating and diagnosing RSD. 

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• How to Diagnose RSD?

RSD symptoms are similar to symptoms of other mental health conditions. Hence, the doctor will first rule out the possibility that your RSD symptoms relate to other underlying mental conditions when assessing whether you have RSD.  

Thus, you need to visit a licensed psychologist, counselor, or any other mental health professional that will help assess RSD symptoms.

During your initial consultation with the mental health professional, they might ask you about your family history of RSD and its symptoms. You will be asked questions about how you feel and react to certain situations.  

There are also online self-tests that help determine whether the symptoms you are exhibiting match the specific symptoms of RSD.

Here are some of the screening questions you will likely encounter during your initial consultation session with your mental professional:

• Have you ever experienced unexpected, intense feelings of anger when someone hurts you?

• Do you experience unexpected feelings of depression when people reject or criticize you?
• Are you a yourself-harshest critic?
• Do you experience anxiety in social situations because of assuming that nobody likes you?
• Would you describe yourself as a people pleaser who can go any length to make someone else feel good?
• Do you think that you can no longer continue feeling this way anymore?

• Medication for RSD 

The fact that RSD isn’t a recognized mental health condition means there is no specific medication for treating this mental disorder.

RSD usually suppresses the HPA’S –axis, which is responsible for controlling your hormone cortisol, which is popularly known as the stress hormone. Some people try several medications to counter RSD. 

Guanfacine is one of the most popular medications for treating RSD. Nonetheless, this medication poses side effects such as sedation, which discourages people with  RSD from using the drug. 

MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) offers another excellent treatment option for this mental condition. Traditionally, MAOI has been the most preferred treatment option for RSD among most clinicians.

The option can be effective for patients grappling with the emotional components of ADHD. 

Contact a mental health professional if you think your RSD problems are getting out of control, especially if you need medication to deal with the mental disorder. 

• Psychotherapies for RSD

Psychotherapies arguably offer the best treatment option for RSD. The most effective psychotherapies for curing RSD include CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) and psychoanalysis.

Psychoanalysis can help you detect the causes behind your RSD since most RSD causes emanate from past experiences and childhood experiences. 

This approach will help you discover the factors contributing to your RSD problems through detailed sessions with a counselor or a therapist. 

The counselor or therapist will help you once they understand the underlying causes of your RSD problem.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) will help you cope with sensitivity and cope with criticism and rejection. It further enables you to reduce your hypersensitivity to criticism. 

While using CBT to deal with RSD, your therapist will develop structured ways to help you cope with criticism and rejection. This RSD treatment option will help solve your RSD problems by controlling dysfunctional patterns of negative behaviors, emotions, and thoughts. 

How to Overcome Your RSD Problems? 

The first thing in overcoming your RSD problems is developing the willpower to overcome your problems. Besides, you have to recognize the presence of these problems in your thinking pattern.

The fear of rejection can prevent us from taking risks and accomplishing our life goals. You need to adopt some thinking styles if you want to overcome RSD.

Furthermore, you have to include these thinking styles into your everyday life to experience a real difference.

Below are some valuable tips to help you overcome your RSD problems:

1. Recognize Your Fear 

The kind of pain we suffer in our lives is part of a universal experience. It is usually upsetting when something happens contrary to what we were expecting.

The first line of defense in dealing with RSD is recognizing your extreme fear of rejection. Failure to acknowledge your sensitivity to criticism will make your fear of rejection more intense.

Thus, there is nothing you can do to overcome RSD if you fail to recognize your fear of rejection.

2. Stop Believing in Every Thought

Your mind is an interconnection of ongoing and endless thoughts. However, some of these thoughts are usually purposeful and rational.

Other thoughts are just common thoughts that everyone has in their mind in their everyday life. Don’t get stuck on thoughts like, “I messed up my presentation, and now everyone thinks I’m foolish.” Or don’t embrace thoughts such as “ I’m not capable of performing efficiently in my new role.”

You can counter such thoughts by challenging their validity. Learn to stop such negative thoughts by evaluating whether the thoughts are rational or not. In most cases, you will learn that such thoughts aren’t rational.

3. Continue Reminding Yourself About Your Worth 

Building up self-worth and self-confidence can help deal with your RSD problems. RSD will mainly attack your self–confidence.

Thus, it is imperative to remind yourself each day that you can counter your sensitivity through self-belief and willpower.

Also, remind yourself of the things you can use to boost your self-worth, such as unique qualities and talents. Most importantly, stop seeing yourself from the perception of other people.

4. Reject Negative Talk

Negative talk can worsen your RSD problems and make you incapable of dealing with this mental disorder. Avoid engaging yourself in a negative conversation by saying things such as, “I was the one who messed up everything.” Or saying negative things such as” I’m one boring person.” Try to look for items that offer multiple perspectives about you. Talk about yourself with a positive attitude.

When you encourage and support yourself, you will surprisingly start believing in yourself. In addition, you will be more confident about yourself.

If things don’t work out still, try self-compassion, whereby you imagine you are telling a loved one what they would do if they were facing a similar challenge to yours. 

5. Take Good Care of Your Brain

The best way to take good care of the brain is by supplying it with healthy foods, healthy thoughts, and healthy behaviors. You can handle any criticism if you have a healthy brain.

Remind yourself that having a pattern of negative thoughts will only give you a negative personality. Plus, train your brain to appreciate that failures and criticisms are a fantastic way of learning.

Having a healthier brain will help you overcome negative thoughts in the long run.

There is no specific treatment of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, but different people respond well to different treatments– Click below to get yourself treated.

Bottom Line 

The pain that comes with rejection can affect all aspects of our life. It is natural to feel bad due to any possible rejection. 

RSD is a mental disorder that increases your usual pain of rejection, turning the pain into negative thoughts that dominate the brain all the time. It is vital to deal with RSD before the mental disorder ruins your life even further.

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