All You Need to Know About Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria From Talkspace

Rejection is demoralizing – it doesn’t matter whether it comes from colleagues, friends, or a crush. While it’s easy for some people to handle rejection, others feel extremely painful. People with a painful response to rejection may suffer from rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD), a condition characterized by intense emotional sensitivity to being rejected or criticized.

Let’s Shed Light on Sensitive Dysphoria

Individuals who suffer from RSD are more prone to typical life experiences such as criticism, failure, or rejection. They respond to such instances in a more severe way than is typically expected. Fear of rejection can have a detrimental impact on one’s quality of life.

Talkspace has researched and found that those who experience fear of rejection tend to work harder to be generally liked or to avoid suffering emotionally. RSD can kill relationships. The habit of predicting rejection becomes ineluctable.

Signs of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Those suffering from RSD may showcase the following symptoms:

  • Having low self-esteem
  • Avoiding other people and social situations
  • Feeling uneasy, especially when in a social setting
  • Experiencing difficulties with relationships
  • Setting unrealistic high standards for themselves
  • Getting angry after experiencing rejection
  • Feeling low because they haven’t achieved up to others expectations
  • Thinking about harming themselves after experiencing failure

It is imperative to note that patients with other mental health conditions may experience these symptoms too. Such conditions include:

  • Depression
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Social phobia
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder

Since RSD may unveil itself like other mental health conditions, it is essential to get a proper diagnosis from a renowned psychotherapist, psychologist, doctor, or counselor.

What Causes Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

People with RSD are susceptible to rejection, which is triggered by various situations. However, the exact reason for feeling extremely painful is not yet scientifically proven.

Like other health problems, there is no single cause for rejection sensitivity. Still, in most cases, it is due to a history of trauma – being rejected early in life and genetics play a huge role.

Some individuals are genetically predisposed to this condition. In most cases, people with RSD may have endured a tough upbringing by an overly negligent parent or critical parent. People who endured trauma early in life may develop an extreme fear of failure, rejection, low self-esteem, and betrayal in relationships. Also, being bullied by a romantic partner or peers can heighten sensitivity to rejection.

How to Treat Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

While there is no exact cure for RSD, there are several medication opportunities. The most effective medication options for RSD vary with two factors: the magnitude of your signs and if you have other preexisting mental health disorders. Talkspace recommends medication to calm one’s emotional response to rejection and minimize associated mental conditions like depression and hyperactivity.

Talkspace mobile therapy is one helpful part of a full compliment of mental health treatments that can help to deal with RSD.