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iwoJima's avatar

im curious what you think, as a therapist, whether RSD (which i know many psychologists / psychiatrists don't acknowledge officially) exists simply because of past trauma?

in otherwords, is RSD only present in ADHD bc the adhd brain is wired for emotional dysregulation? or can it also present in normie brains simply due to past physical /emotional trauma? maybe its not exclusive to adhd but simply presents more frequently in adhd brains?

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Catherine Quiring's avatar

From my therapist experience and as a person with RSD, it's just wiring. Trauma can compound and exacerbate it though.

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Sarah's avatar

Yes that’s where my thinking has been going to. We need research on this.

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Sarah's avatar

Yes that’s where my thinking has been going to. We need research on this.

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Catherine Quiring's avatar

I've been wondering if RSD is present in other presentations, such as certain forms of OCD or quiet BPD. I'm curious if you've encountered this or have any insight into it. It's surprised me how similar my experiences of RSD are to some of my clients who I thought just had RSD and we're figuring out have some other presentations that compound it.

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WCoastD's avatar

RSD is not an actual thing. It’s not in the DSM, and we don’t want it to be.

This is a term coined by an ableist clinician that pathologizes the lived experience of NDs. Using the term is really destructive. Rejection Sensitivity is the more accurate term. Please do your homework before throwing this idea around as though it’s legitimate.

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Alice Bramhill's avatar

Does something have to be in the DSM for it to be a real experience? I have 30 years experience of working in psychiatry. If you think I ‘throw ideas around’ you are sorely mistaken. I live it, my clients live it. Terms are useful ways to identify common experiences, it hasn’t been destructive in my experience to use this term, it’s enlightening and useful.

Things don’t have to have been sanctioned by the DSM to be real.

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Gillian's avatar

Nice reply to a negative comment, Alice. It's fine to express your opinion, WcoastD, but there's no need to disparage others when you do. Why are people so uncivil online?

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Sarah's avatar

Yes that’s where my thinking has been going to. We need research on this.

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