An off-hand comment can make me feel like I've been stabbed
Q. I've always been told I'm 'too sensitive'. A single off-hand comment from a friend, or a colleague not replying to a message, and I spiral. I don't mean a passing flicker of doubt — I mean hours of ruminating, heart racing, shame flooding my body, convinced they hate me or I've messed everything up. Sometimes it feels physically painful.
I mask it well, so people think I'm confident, capable, even a bit extroverted. But inside I'm constantly scanning for signs that I've upset or disappointed someone. It's exhausting.
I recently read about something called rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), especially in relation to ADHD. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year in my thirties, and it was life-changing. Suddenly a lot made sense. But no
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
12 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Poop transplants' have been happening for decades. Now researchers have identified some unintended consequences
Fecal microbiota transplants are common medical procedures dating back decades that can help restore the gut health of people with colon infections - but scientists now warn of newly discovered consequences from the procedure. The 'poop transplant' is the transfer of the stool of a healthy donor to a recipient. The stool contains beneficial bacteria that can improve the patient's gut bacteria, which guards immune health and helps to regulate metabolism. They are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat people with common C. diff infections that may cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms and inflammation in hospital patients who have been on antibiotics. Roughly 48,000 procedures are done each year. Now, University of Chicago researchers say a study in mice and experiments with human tissue have revealed some long-lasting and unintended consequences due to transplanting microorganisms from only one section of the digestive tract. 'I think it's a bit of a wakeup call to the field that maybe we shouldn't willy-nilly put large bowel microbes into different parts of the intestine that shouldn't be there,' Dr. Orlando 'Landon' DeLeon, postdoctoral researcher at the university, said in a statement. 'If we're designing good therapeutics, we should be aware of the importance of matching the regional microbiota to their proper environments, so that we provide better overall health benefits.' DeLeon is the lead author of the new research, which was published on Friday in the journal Cell. To reach these conclusions, the authors gave three groups of mice transplants of microorganisms from the middle part of the small intestine that connects to the colon, and a standard fecal transplant from the colon. The test showed that the microorganisms from each transplant were able to colonize the entirety of the intestinal tract in the mice -- not just certain regions. This created what they called regional gut mismatches, lasting for up to three months following a transplant. The microbes also altered their new intestinal environments, 'terraforming' the lining in ways that caused changes in the recipient's metabolism, behavior and energy balance. There were shifts in liver metabolism, including activity in genes associated with immune function. The mice also exhibited different eating behaviors. The gut has several distinct regions with vastly different microbial ecosystems. Imbalances in gut bacteria have been tied to a risk of cancer. 'There are microbes along the entire intestinal tract, and we just study predominately the last third of it (the colon),' DeLeon said. 'So, how can you expect [a transplant], with microbes from a third of the intestinal tract at the end of it, to fix the rest of the intestine?' What this means for human patients may be murky right now, but the authors say more caution is needed with the transplants going forward. They advocate for an approach that would transfer microorganism from all regions of the intestine and not just largely from the colon. In the future, they plan to conduct further study related to how different microbes exert their influence in different parts of the intestine and how the gut regions terraformed by microbiota mismatches can be restored. 'We have absolutely no idea what's in FMT, except that it's a combination of microbes,' Dr. Eugene Chang, the Martin Boyer Professor of Medicine at the university and senior author of the study, said. 'But even a single FMT will cause a change in the host-microbe relationships in these very different regions of the bowel that may be very difficult to reverse.'
Reuters
42 minutes ago
- Reuters
Experts doubt FBI's claim that crop fungus smuggled by Chinese students is a threat
CHICAGO, June 6 (Reuters) - A biological sample that a Chinese researcher was accused of smuggling into the United States and that prosecutors cast as a "dangerous biological pathogen" is a common type of fungus already widespread in U.S. crop fields that likely poses little risk to food safety, experts said. On Tuesday, U.S. federal prosecutors, opens new tab accused two Chinese researchers of smuggling samples of the fungus Fusarium graminearum into the U.S., describing it as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon. Yunqing Jian, 33, a researcher at the University of Michigan's Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology has been charged in connection with allegations that she helped her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, smuggle the pathogen into the U.S. However, agriculture experts interviewed by Reuters this week said the fungus has been in the U.S. for more than a century, can be prevented by spraying pesticides, and is only dangerous if ingested regularly and in large quantities. "As a weapon, it would be a pretty ineffective one," said Jessica Rutkoski, a crop sciences professor, wheat breeder and geneticist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rutkoski and other researchers said extensive testing for the fungus' toxin, widespread use of fungicides and the difficulty of intentionally creating an infection with the pathogen would make it a clumsy weapon. The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI declined Reuters' request for comment. Since the 1900s, U.S. farmers have been battling the fungus, which causes Fusarium head blight, usually known as "scab," which often infects wheat, barley and other grains on farms during rainy years. The telltale pink streaks on the grain heads contain a toxic byproduct called vomitoxin, which is tested for and tightly controlled by grain elevators where farmers sell their crops. Constant testing and monitoring means that only negligible amounts of vomitoxin ever make it into the bread, pasta and cookies Americans eat, far below levels that would sicken a human, experts said. "We have a long history of managing epidemics of scab," said Andrew Friskop, professor and plant pathologist at North Dakota State University, noting that farmers have access to many tools to prevent and control the disease. Farmers began regularly spraying their fields with fungicide as early as the 1990s, and researchers have since developed multiple strains of fungus-resistant wheat. Plant experts said that it would be difficult to fully assess the risks posed by the samples without more information on the particular strain. But Rutkoski, whose research involves intentionally contaminating wheat with the fungus, said that she isn't always successful at infecting her test field's wheat with scab. She said the pathogen is difficult to control, and her lab has to strike the right balance of temperature and humidity to create an infection. In federal court in Detroit on Tuesday, Jian was charged with conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud the U.S., smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud. Jian did not comment on the charges, and the lawyer who represented her in court was not immediately available for comment. Liu could not be immediately reached for comment. The court scheduled Jian's bail hearing for June 13.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Cardiologist reveals his ‘go-to' breakfast for a healthy heart
A cardiologist has revealed his favorite breakfast for keeping his heart healthy. Often touted as the most important meal of the day, breakfast fuels you for the hours ahead. However, popular options like muffins, donuts, bacon, and processed cereals are typically high in cholesterol and sugar, making them less ideal for a healthy start. With that in mind, multiple cardiologists and health experts recommend a nutrient-packed breakfast option that's high in fiber and vitamins to kickstart your day. 'My go-to is really oatmeal,' Dr. Andrew Freeman, a cardiologist based in Denver, Colorado, told Today. 'In general, I recommend oatmeal as the best option.' According to Freeman, the best option is a cup of oatmeal prepared with water instead of milk or butter, keeping it lower in calories. He advises adding berries, flax seeds, and walnuts, which offer different health benefits and are rich in fiber. However, it's best to avoid instant oatmeal, as it's more processed and often contains added sugars and artificial ingredients. Oatmeal is high in minerals and vitamins. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a one-cup serving of cooked oatmeal has about 1.8 milligrams of vitamin B1, also known as thiamin, a vitamin that's important for energy production and nerve function. That cup of oatmeal also has nearly four grams of dietary fiber and less than one gram of total sugars. The American Heart Association notes that oatmeal stands out because it has beta-glucan, a dietary fiber that can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and lower blood glucose levels. Along with reducing heart disease and diabetes, beta-glucan also promotes healthy gut bacteria and intestinal health, according to the Mayo Clinic. So, how will oatmeal impact how our body functions? According to EatingWell, having oatmeal for breakfast could reduce your feelings of hunger and make you feel fuller throughout the day. 'Having oats for breakfast or incorporated into different foods as meals and snacks is a great way to give the meal more staying power and help you feel fuller for longer,' registered dietitian Maggie Michalczyk told the publication in January. Michalczyk also noted that beta-glucan 'forms a gel-like consistency in the gut and helps to keep things moving in your digestive tract and keep you regular.' While he's all for having oatmeal in the morning, Freeman previously said that he's trying to cut other foods out of his morning diet. He told Today that he doesn't recommend having eggs for breakfast at all, since they contain a lot of cholesterol. He also steers clear of muffins, danishes, donuts, and croissants in the morning because they're high in fat, sugar, and carbs. However, he admits it's okay to enjoy a small treat occasionally, as long as it's not part of his daily breakfast. 'It's better to have just a small little serving or a taste, and then a big plate of fruit or oatmeal,' he said.
