Autism and RSD (Script)

This is meant to only be 2 pages so I'm going to have to make this way more concise for the final comic I think ;;; I always have this problem when I'm writing comics haha. Also my scripts are very much not like comic scripts because I don't describe the panels and the action.... I blame this on my aphantasia honestly because I don't know what things are going to look like until I sketch them out :3

Anyway, here it is!

Neurodivergent people often have an increased sensitivity when it comes to feelings of being rejected. What other people say and think about us can be extremely important to us, and rejection - whether real or perceived - can impact us strongly in negative ways. This is called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD for short.

People who suffer with RSD are often people pleasers who will go above and beyond to lessen their chances of being rejected by others. We can be easily embarrassed

We often have low self-esteem but simultaneously have impossibly high standards for ourselves which we cannot meet.

We are sensitive to criticism and can often interpret mild critique as total, unsalvageable rejection.

This can lead us to withdraw and self-isolate. In extreme cases it can lead to thoughts of self-harm.

It's not hard to see why this often leads us to struggle with social anxiety and why we often have difficulties in our relationships.

RSD can also manifest in an intense fear of failure. We can avoid opening ourselves up to new activities or experiences because we don't want to fail at them.

We're often terrified of disappointing the people that love us.

Most people experience the characteristics of RSD at some point in their lives, but for neurodivergent people who struggle with it, it can be a daily occurrence.

Fortunately, knowing that RSD exists is already a step towards combatting it.

When I feel like I'm being rejected, knowing now that I struggle with RSD, I try to ground myself before I get too overwhelmed by negative emotions.

Writing down my feelings in a question and answer format helps me to do this:

What am I feeling right now?
Why am I feeling this way?
Is my reaction proportionate to what has happened?
What do I need to feel better?

Distraction is another useful strategy for coping with RSD. Sometimes it can be helpful to take a break from something and come back with a fresh perspective.

RSD can be made worse by stress and overstimulation, so taking a break to do something low-effort that's understimulating can help a lot too.

Although it can be very hard, sometimes the best thing to do is to just talk it out with whoever you feel has rejected you. Sometimes people will be mad at you and that's OK. It doesn't have to mean it's the end of your relationship.

'I'm mad at you for what you did'
'I understand why you're mad at me and I'm sorry for what I did, here's how I plan to make it up to you and prevent this from happening again'

*bridge not burned!!* *so healthy!!!* *friendship goals!!!!*

RSD is difficult to live with and tough to manage, but it is possible to manage. Learning what self-soothing strategies work for you can take time, but you can hone this skill like any other! Above all else, remember to treat yourself with love and compassion. You're not the awful person you sometimes feel you are.