Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria as Emotional Wrong Attractor: Perceived Rejection as Catastrophic D(ξ), the Anticipatory Avoidance Basin, and the Neurobiological Roots of Extreme Emotional Sensitivity

We apply the Displacement Framework to Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), formalizing it as an episodic emotional wrong attractor in which perceived rejection or criticism triggers a catastrophic D(ξ) spike disproportionate to the actual stimulus. The emotional regulation ground state S°_emo is defined across five dimensions: response proportionality, recovery scaling, social feedback processed as information rather than threat, worth independence from external validation, and self-repair capacity within hours to days.

RSD is characterized as a deep but narrow wrong attractor W_RSD — episodic rather than chronic — with three components: hyper-amplified displacement signal (perceived rejection experienced as devastating), impaired return path (self-repair mechanisms overwhelmed), and temporal distortion (the wound feels permanent despite typically resolving within hours). The neurobiological substrate involves noradrenergic hyperreactivity (explaining the efficacy of alpha-2 agonists guanfacine and clonidine), dopaminergic dysregulation making social rejection neurologically louder, and a low limbic alarm threshold.

The secondary wrong attractor W_avoidance is formally modeled as the basin of behavioral avoidance that often causes greater life impairment than the episodes themselves. A tertiary masking displacement (people-pleasing, suppression of authentic needs) generates accumulated Φ_masking. Nine formal propositions are derived covering: wrong attractor structure, amplification equation, low threshold, impaired return, temporal distortion, avoidance basin deepening, masking as slow displacement, neurobiological basin depth, and return path hierarchy.

Return paths include alpha-2 agonists, stimulants, DBT skills, cognitive defusion, and behavioral experiments targeting W_avoidance.