Alex Partridge

We shook hands, really well-spoken, looked confident, well-dressed, great posture.

You know, you wouldn't think he was struggling on the surface.

And we ended up talking about rejection sensitivity dysphoria.

And he explained how it's controlling his life.

how his marriage is about to break down because of it.

He's really struggling at work.

He's drinking in the evenings.

Do you think rejection sensitivity dysphoria shows up in men differently than it does in women?

Rejection sensitivity dysphoria, I feel like the pain is so intense.

When you are triggered, the emotional tsunami is so brutal.

It can turn you into a massive people pleaser.

You're so terrified of putting yourself first.

Or it can turn you into a perfectionist.

How can someone possibly criticize me if the work is so perfect?

And that looks like staying in the office five hours later than everyone else.

That looks like working tirelessly through the night

And that's all people see.

They just see the brilliance.

They see you handing in that assignment and you might get a great mark or you might get a promotion, but they don't see you getting home at the end of the day, the door slams, you fall to the floor and burst into tears or you have a huge row with your partner.

It's that invisible behind-the-scenes struggle that is invisible to so many people and it's completely overwhelming.