https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24099-rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-rsd

I always had this thing where randomly certain types of criticism, even small ones or ones where in hindsight it wasn’t really against me, WRECKED me. Like was all I could think about for days, where I wasn’t able to sleep that night at all, just overwhelmed with negative emotions. I still remember the overwhelming feeling of sadness and frustration I got once because I got a question marked wrong in like the 4th grade because I didn’t “show my work” properly even though I got the answer right.

When I was younger this was a fun combination, because I was undiagnosed ADHD sufferer school was a place I got a good amount of criticism. So yeah I got called a crybaby a good amount. Which of course… more criticism. Yay.

I grew out of the crying (as any man should, I was told), but never grew out of random insults hitting me as hard as if someone I love just died. There were hobbies/games/communities I adored that I quit suddenly because a single snide comment for some reason filled me with such negative emotions I couldn’t do said thing without thinking about it all the time.

But now as I just got my ADHD diagnosis and learning that RSD is a symptom that goes along with it, it makes SO MUCH SENSE, and is now something I can work with my counselors on.

But yeah, just curious if the cry baby thing was a shared experience.

  • paraphrand@lemmy.worldEnglish
    10·
    4 hours ago

    I hate that my memory appears to save snapshots the best in moments of rejection and piqued anxiety.

    There are so many things I remember only because I was scared or upset.

    • monkeyman512@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 hours ago

      Yeah. Human memory evolved to keep us alive not happy. Brain assumes anything that stressful must be life threatening and we obviously should remember that so we can avoid it in the future.

      I personally find having a rational understanding of the utility of emotions helps me process them.