So, here is the thing, I know it wasn't meant to hurt me. Nevertheless I felt attacked. What has happened? I shared something vulnerable from my past in a group to explain why I think ADHD tests and IQ tests are helpful tools. And the response was, that is stupid to pay for an IQ test, as you can get them in the same detail for free. And that came from someone who is "in the industry" (an activist in the neurodivergence scene), so, he obviously knows better than me and I basically felt invalidated and belittled. Especially as he then raige quit the group and left, making me feel like I was the one who ultimately made him leave (although the discussion was going on for a while before that and others also had something to say in the matter.) Shortly after that, I was a shaking, crying mess. Which is interesting because I though I am not very much ffected by RSD. Most of the time, I can handle rejections pretty well. I am a yoga teacher, people leave my classes all the time, they give sometimes really strange feedback, because they didn't like an aspect (of yoga most of the time, but of course, they blame me), and don't take that personally. It does sometimes make me think about it for a long time, but I can still shrug it off and not let it affect me too much. So, now, why did this instance throw me off the rails? I think it is because I was sharing something very painful from my childhood. Having someone basically yelling at me after I shared that just hit different. And it is still me overreacting, because I know, it wasn't about my childhood exprience, it was about something else, and it wasn't personal toward me. So, RSD can hit any time. No matter how good you think you are at keeping it in check. But, what can you do about it? So, here is what I do. 1. Give my emotions the room they need. It's ok to cry, at home, on my own, nobody sees my tears, so I can just let it flow. Feels good and releases the perceived stress. 2. Ask other people who were in that conversation too, how they see it. That is very helpful, as it is a third party view on it. Me questioning myself, if I did something wrong is debilitating. Having others giving me constructive feedback bring me back to reality, giving me back the validation that felt taken away beforehand. 3. Try to see it from the perspective of the other person. What was going on in their head? Looking at this particular instance, I would say, there was some RSD going on in this persons mind, too. That makes me instantly feel more connected and empathetic towards the "offender", who really isn't an offender, just another person with emotions going high. 4. Allow myself some soothing. A hot shower, a cup of tea, some chocolate. Cuddling with my cats. Something grounding and nourishing.

I'm… questioning reality. If tomatoes are fruit, is ketchup a smoothie? When you “turn around,” do you ever really go back? And if money talks… what accent does it have? Please advise. 🤔