How RSD stops you from achieving your goals.

Rejection sensitive dysphoria may also come up as a roadblock in the pursuit of big picture ambitions. When they perceive that a certain path or choice has a high likelihood of social rejection, they are unlikely to take that path which may stop them from achieving a long term goal. 

Perfectionism

They may also compensate for their fear of failure or rejection by going all-out or striving for perfectionism. In doing so, they expect to be successful. However, moving forward with success as the only acceptable outcome makes the emotional toll of failure or rejection that much more painful and detrimental, because they were unprepared for it. 

Pivoting

When this happens the person may attribute the rejection to having the wrong ambition instead of to simply circumstances beyond their control. They may give up on that ambition, because the rejection is too painful to continue. 

Rejection Fatigue

Many long term goals such as academic goals, career paths, and entrepreneurial endeavors will have many opportunities for smaller successes and failures along the way. While some people may be able to take these smaller rejections in stride, it will cause emotional fatigue, burnout, and disenfranchisement for someone with RSD which will over time derail them from the long term ambition. 

All Journey, No Destination

These patterns often find the RSD person jumping from one aspiration to another without much to show for their work. People with RSD may be overflowing with knowledge and progress, but lacking in actualization and completion. The absence of clear achievements and milestones becomes a source of shame in and of itself which they will look back at as evidence of their own defectiveness.