02/26/2026
A friend asked, "Is RSD real?" The answer is, "Kinda."
The term has been around for sixty-something years, We're still not sure if it's a separate disorder, or just part of AD/HD, generalized anxiety disorder, etc. We do know millions of people have a crushing emotional reaction to rejection, criticism or the sense that they have failed.
It makes rejection, teasing or criticism feel unbearable, often prompting a strong physical reaction. Sufferers describe life with a condition that is only just starting to be understood