Your brain just wrote the worst-case version. Read what actually happened.
RSD Decoder is a free reality check for the rejection sensitivity spiral. Paste the text, the email, or the moment that set it off, and in about 90 seconds you get the facts, the fill-ins, and a way back down.
No account. No signup. Nothing you paste is stored.
A real decode, in one glance
What was actually said or known
- Your boss asked, "Do you have time to talk Monday morning?"
- It arrived Friday at 5pm, with no other context.
- No complaint or criticism appears anywhere in the message.
What your brain filled in
- That "talk" means "you're fired."
- That the timing was chosen to make you sweat all weekend.
- That every small mistake has been secretly tallied against you.
How it works
Ninety seconds, three moves.
Built for the moment your concentration is gone and your chest is tight. No dashboard, no course, no streak to maintain.
01
Paste it, or tap it
Paste the text or email in your own words, or tap one of ten common spirals for an instant pre-written decode with no wait at all.
02
Breathe while it reads
While the decode runs, the screen guides your breathing. The regulation starts before the answer arrives.
03
Read it straight
Stated facts vs. filled-in fears, four weighted readings including your spiral's version at its honest odds, three Check-the-Facts questions, and a 60-second reset.
The method
Borrowed from DBT, built for the spiral.
Every decode runs the same structure, drawn from the dialectical behavior therapy skill called Check the Facts: separate what is known from what is feared, weigh the alternative readings, then bring the body back down. The pain of RSD is real. The decoder never argues with the pain, only with the story. Clinical review of the methodology is underway, and the reviewing therapist’s credentials will be published when it completes. The full structure, the AI’s rules, and the crisis policy are documented on the methodology page.
Fair questions
Things people ask before pasting their worst moment.
Is this therapy?
No. It's a self-help utility built on a DBT skill, and it says so on every page. Think of it as the bridge between the bad moment and the real support you deserve, not a replacement for it.
Is it really free?
Yes, all of it: the instant library, five personalized decodes a day (a fair-use cap that keeps it free for everyone), your on-device history, and the tone and framework options. No account, no premium tier. If it helps, the pay-what-you-want Field Guide PDF supports the project, and free is a real option there too.
What happens to what I paste?
It goes to the AI for one decode and is not stored by this site. No account, no analytics on your words, nothing tied to you. The paste box empties, and so does our memory of it.
What if I'm in real crisis, not a spiral?
Then skip the decoder. In the US, call or text 988 any hour of any day. Outside the US, findahelpline.com lists local lines. These resources are never behind any paywall here.
Who made this?
An indie builder with an RSD brain, shipping in public as part of the SideRoad portfolio. The tool exists because the 2am spiral needed something faster than a meditation app and lighter than a mood tracker.
The spiral is real pain, and it's also a first draft. Bring the next one here.
Open the decoder →