I agree with all of this. I definitely think at least some of them are astroturfing. The mods from r/adviceanimals got kicked and ever since then, they mostly post memes that say things like “the official app isn’t so bad, you guys!” We all know u/spez isn’t above editing comments for petty reasons and since he got caught, I’m sure he’s more careful about not getting caught editing things to suit him now. I wonder if the voting system is rigged, too, at least in some subs.
Are you me? I felt the exact same way. Then if it hurts, you have to hide those feelings too because people will make fun of you for being “too sensitive.” “It’s just the internet, get over it.” Rejection sensitivity is real and it sucks. I quit commenting on Reddit because of that. I never understood why people think the internet isn’t a real place, so it’s okay to be cruel. We may be somewhat anonymous here, but we’re still people with feelings. If you’re mentally in a bad place, little things can really feel big. They add up.
I recently got on meds for my ADHD, too. It’s helping me a lot, I hope you’re having good luck with yours too. :)