Health and Me

Ishita Srivastava

Paris Hilton Opens Up About ‘Demon’ Mental Health Struggle

In a podcast episode, Socialite Paris Hilton has revealed her struggle with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and described it as "almost like a demon in your mind that is like saying negative self-talk to you".

While on Dear Media's The Skinny Confidential Him &amp; Her Show, Hilton said people living with RSD feel negative feelings 'on such a deep level' and have to learn to identify those feelings as 'the RSD kicking in.'

'I've been through so many things in my life and especially in the 2000s, just everything I was going through with the media,' the mother-of-two said.

The 44-year-old said that she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and she "didn't even know what [RSD] was before," but after talking to "so many people" with ADHD, she learned that many of them feel the same way.

"No one was talking about it when I was a teenager - especially for girls and women. You know, everyone just would say, 'Oh, this is, like, something little boys have" ... and back then everyone always only said the negative parts about it," she said of her delayed diagnosis. 

<h2>What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?</h2>

RSD is an intense, overwhelming emotional pain triggered by the perception—not just reality—of being rejected, criticized, or failing to meet high expectations. According to the Cleveland Clinic, while RSD isn’t an officially recognized symptom or diagnosis, it’s still a term that experts use in connection with recognized conditions such as ADHD&gt; 

While rejection is something people usually don’t like, the negative feelings that come with RSD are stronger and can be harder to manage or both. People with RSD are also more likely to interpret vague interactions as rejection and may find it difficult to control their reactions.

Commonly linked to ADHD, it causes severe, immediate emotional distress or rage, often leading to people-pleasing, perfectionism or social withdrawal to avoid further hurt.

People with RSD often show the following signs:

<ul><li>It’s very easy for them to feel embarrassed or self-conscious.</li><li>They show signs of low self-esteem and trouble believing in themselves.</li><li>They have trouble containing emotions when they feel rejected especially children and teenagers with this condition</li><li>Instead of losing control of their emotions outwardly, some people with RSD may turn their feelings inward</li><li>Often, people pleasers' and become intensely focused on avoiding the disapproval of others.</li><li>They may avoid starting projects, tasks or goals where there’s a chance of failure.</li><li>They compensate for their fear of failure or rejection by going all-out or striving for perfectionism. However, the downside of this is that they often experience intense anxiety and may not easily make self-care or downtime a priority. </li></ul>While there is no clear cure for RSD, therapies to ease symptoms include ADHD medications, specifically alpha-2 agonists such as guanfacine or clonidine; cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and self-awarness.

She went on: 'I'm obsessed with learning more about it and spreading the message, because I want people to know that it doesn't have to be something that holds them back in life; it could be something that they can harness as a superpower, to really go for their dreams in life.'

The Simple Life star claimed that she was not diagnosed with ADHD as a child because society and the medical community were not focused on the ailment at the time, leading it to an impact on her education: 'I was always so confused, and in school, it was so difficult for me.'

'As hard as I would study, I could never remember anything. I was always failing my test. I was just always in detention, getting in trouble. And it was always just very difficult for me.'

Hilton said she feels she has properly refocused her mind to adapt to the conditions and thrive, which is why she 'really wanted to reframe' the public discourse on the topic in an effort to help people.

'I see this my superpower, and I wouldn't be entrepreneur I am today without it,' Hilton said. 'It was me, like, this drive, and always being in the future, and there's, like, hard parts about it to it - very overwhelming.'

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In a podcast episode, Socialite Paris Hilton has revealed her struggle with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and described it as "almost like a demon in your mind that is like saying negative self-talk to you". While on Dear Media's The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show,  Hilton said people living with RSD feel negative feelings 'on such a deep level' and have to learn to identify those feelings as 'the RSD kicking in.''I've been through so many things in my life and especially in the 2000s, just everything I was going through with the media,' the mother-of-two said.The 44-year-old said that she was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and she "didn't even know what [RSD] was before," but after talking to "so many people" with ADHD, she learned that many of them feel the same way."No one was talking about it when I was a teenager - especially for girls and women. You know, everyone just would say, 'Oh, this is, like, something little boys have" ... and back then everyone always only said the negative parts about it," she said of her delayed diagnosis. What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?RSD is an intense, overwhelming emotional pain triggered by the perception—not just reality—of being rejected, criticized, or failing to meet high expectations. According to the Cleveland Clinic, while RSD isn’t an officially recognized symptom or diagnosis, it’s still a term that experts use in connection with recognized conditions such as ADHD> While rejection is something people usually don’t like, the negative feelings that come with RSD are stronger and can be harder to manage or both. People with RSD are also more likely to interpret vague interactions as rejection and may find it difficult to control their reactions.Commonly linked to ADHD, it causes severe, immediate emotional distress or rage, often leading to people-pleasing, perfectionism or social withdrawal to avoid further hurt.People with RSD often show the following signs:It’s very easy for them to feel embarrassed or self-conscious.They show signs of low self-esteem and trouble believing in themselves.They have trouble containing emotions when they feel rejected especially children and teenagers with this conditionInstead of losing control of their emotions outwardly, some people with RSD may turn their feelings inwardOften, people pleasers' and become intensely focused on avoiding the disapproval of others.They may avoid starting projects, tasks or goals where there’s a chance of failure.They compensate for their fear of failure or rejection by going all-out or striving for perfectionism. However, the downside of this is that they often experience intense anxiety and may not easily make self-care or downtime a priority. While there is no clear cure for RSD, therapies to ease symptoms include ADHD medications, specifically alpha-2 agonists such as guanfacine or clonidine; cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and self-awarness. What Else Did Hilton Say?She went on: 'I'm obsessed with learning more about it and spreading the message, because I want people to know that it doesn't have to be something that holds them back in life; it could be something that they can harness as a superpower, to really go for their dreams in life.'The Simple Life star claimed that she was not diagnosed with ADHD as a child because society and the medical community were not focused on the ailment at the time, leading it to an impact on her education: 'I was always so confused, and in school, it was so difficult for me.''As hard as I would study, I could never remember anything. I was always failing my test. I was just always in detention, getting in trouble. And it was always just very difficult for me.'Hilton said she feels she has properly refocused her mind to adapt to the conditions and thrive, which is why she 'really wanted to reframe' the public discourse on the topic in an effort to help people.'I see this my superpower, and I wouldn't be entrepreneur I am today without it,' Hilton said. 'It was me, like, this drive, and always being in the future, and there's, like, hard parts about it to it - very overwhelming.'