{"id":1239,"date":"2026-06-25T15:48:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:48:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-sciencefocus\/?p=1239"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:48:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T15:48:36","slug":"does-criticism-hit-you-harder-than-it-should-you-might-have-rsd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/bbc-sciencefocus\/2026\/06\/25\/does-criticism-hit-you-harder-than-it-should-you-might-have-rsd\/","title":{"rendered":"Does criticism hit you harder than it should? You might have RSD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Wellbeing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does criticism hit you harder than it should? You might have RSD<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

When even slight rejection feels unbearable, there might be more going on than simple sensitivity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Hatty Willmoth<\/p>\n\n\n\n

–<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"Speech
Photo credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

No one likes feeling rejected. That deep pit in your stomach, weight in your chest, lump in your throat, face flushed red with shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, this intense reaction is thankfully rare, reserved only for the biggest rejections. But for some, these pangs strike on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t have to be a scenario that others might find distressing, either. This claw-your-skin-off feeling might arise because a friend forgot to reply to your text, a performance review at work wasn\u2019t wholly positive, or someone made a slightly tactless remark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feel familiar? You might have RSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is RSD?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even if you know the feeling all too well, you\u2019re unlikely to have heard the acronym before. RSD stands for Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, and in simple terms, it\u2019s defined as an intense reactivity to perceived rejection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMost of us can relate to feeling some level of distress if we\u2019re being criticised or disapproved of,\u201d says Dr Victoria Barclay-Timmis, a clinical psychologist at the University of Southern Queensland. \u201cBut RSD refers to an intensity that is beyond what the average person would experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term RSD has become popular among those who identify with it, she explains, but is not yet a clinically recognised disorder. However, the term is increasingly gaining weight among psychologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, in 2024, psychologist Dr William Dodson wrote a paper<\/a> introducing the world to RSD, stating he had seen approximately 300 patients with the condition, and his colleagues had too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RSD, Dodson wrote, always followed the same pattern: first, a trigger. This might be rejection, teasing, criticism, or the internal belief of failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then comes a complete and instantaneous change of mood; the onset of unbearable emotional pain, sometimes expressed as sadness or rage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dodson\u2019s patients describe this as \u201cfeeling like my guts were on the floor\u201d or \u201clike somebody had just punched me in the chest\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But RSD doesn\u2019t just affect people in these moments. The fear of rejection \u2013 and the consequent fallout \u2013 can become so strong that individuals develop strategies, aiming to prevent it from happening again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut their coping behaviours might heighten that experience,\u201d says Dr Antonia Dittner, a psychologist at King\u2019s College London. \u201cSo, they might withdraw from people, avoid standing up for something they believe in, or avoid going into situations where they fear conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Dodson describes how a patient of his, called Josh (not his real name), coped with his RSD by socially isolating himself, because in his words, \u201chaving people know me just wasn\u2019t worth the pain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At 29 years old, Josh had never asked anyone on a date or applied for a job, for fear of being turned down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Nervous
People with RSD may avoid situations where the outcome is uncertain, such as job interviews. Photo credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are other possible coping strategies too. Dittner says: \u201cThey might get angry with those around them, and lash out impulsively, which is unhelpful. They might inadvertently get into conflicts because they respond in this intense way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was the case for another of Dodson\u2019s clients. Amy (also not her real name) said her marriage was under severe strain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believed her husband was constantly \u201ctormenting me by making fun of my struggle with taking care of the house and our two children,\u201d which would cause her to lash out in retaliation, or leave the house in floods of tears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barclay-Timmis adds that many of her clients with RSD develop anxiety issues centred on their relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alternatively, she says: \u201cIt might manifest as perfectionism, leading to burnout, exhaustion or even chronic fatigue, from that constant effort to be a step ahead of potential disapproval.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, Hannah (another alias) was a 17-year-old who sought Dodson\u2019s help because her frequent stress-induced migraines were stopping her from attending school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite her absences, Hannah said she was determined to be \u201cthe perfect over-achiever who never made a mistake and was always the top of the class.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s this extreme, potentially debilitating reaction that sets RSD apart from simple sensitivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dittner explains: \u201cMost people are probably sensitive to perceived rejection, but this is something people are describing as a really marked experience of crying, intense shame, intense sadness, and not being able to go about their day. It\u2019s a really marked and distressing part of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that sounds like you, then you might have RSD \u2013 but we\u2019re still missing one major part of this picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it\u2019s linked to ADHD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The other component that separates RSD from just sensitivity is its connection to neurodivergence, particularly ADHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several studies have found a direct correlation between other ADHD symptoms \u2013 such as difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, fidgeting and talking over others \u2013 and the signs of RSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, a US study<\/a> of 10- to 15-year-olds, and a Hungarian study<\/a> of 300 university students, both found correlations between ADHD symptoms and self-reported RSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe stronger the symptomology of ADHD, the stronger the response was to rejection,\u201d says Barclay-Timmis, about the Hungarian study. \u201cBut also, there was a weakened response to positive feedback and acceptance. So, there’s a bit of a double whammy, if you like, for individuals with ADHD.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This link, she says, might have roots in how it feels to grow up with ADHD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome research suggests that, by age 10, kids with ADHD will have heard 20,000 more negative comments than their neurotypical peers,\u201d Barclay-Timmis says. \u201cBecause of how ADHD manifests in young people, it elicits a lot of criticism from peers, from parents, from teachers. Like, \u2018be quiet, put your hand down, sit down\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can imagine, if you\u2019ve already had that disproportionate amount of negative feedback in your life, that might lead to a desire to avoid that criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it\u2019s not just that. Certain symptoms of ADHD can directly lead to inflated emotional reactions, as Dittner explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEmotional sensitivity and reactivity are part of ADHD,\u201d she says, \u201cand therefore people are likely to have a heightened emotional response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey may be more vulnerable to particular patterns of repetitive thinking as well, which might mean they\u2019re more likely to ruminate on what\u2019s happened, which will prolong the emotional experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can see this from brain-imaging studies<\/a> of people with ADHD, which found differences in parts of the brain responsible for emotion processing, and more acute reactions to negative facial expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe neurobiology is just a little bit different,\u201d says Barclay-Timmis. \u201cIt all combines to create this heightened sensitivity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Brain
ADHD brains often process emotions and executive functions differently, which can lead to RSD. Photo credit: Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Treatment for RSD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If this is all sounding uncannily relatable, there is hope: RSD is treatable. You don\u2019t have to struggle through this alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dittner and Barclay-Timmis say that all the classic mental-health strategies, like therapy, mindfulness, and certain grounding techniques, can play a role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTherapy can help us reframe those negative thoughts with some more compassion,\u201d says Barclay-Timmis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, she adds, ADHD medication can help too. \u201cWhilst I\u2019m not saying you need to take a magic pill, I would suggest that you consult with a healthcare provider and consider utilising medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBalancing out that neurobiology can really help with the regulation of emotional responses, not just attention and concentration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These interventions certainly helped Dodson\u2019s example patients. For instance, two years after Josh was diagnosed with ADHD, he had graduated from university, was working as an aerospace engineer, and had a girlfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He still had RSD episodes once in a while but could now \u201ctalk myself down with the CBT I learned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amy began taking ADHD medication and she said it had a \u201clife-changing\u201d effect, adding: \u201cI didn\u2019t realise how afraid I was of being hurt by people in general and my husband in particular.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, for Hannah? She was also on medication and her migraines had gone from several each week to once per month, and she was back at school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these individuals found medication helpful \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean everyone with RSD needs drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barclay-Timmis says that simply having a label can be transformative for some people with the condition, and help the loved ones of people with RSD to gently support them through their dysphoric moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnce we give things a name and we realise we\u2019re not alone, it gives us a way of developing compassion for ourselves,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen others can validate that for us, as a psychologist, I think that\u2019s really powerful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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by HATTY WILLMOTH<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hatty is a trends editor for <\/em>BBC Science Focus<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Read More:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n