8 Signs It’s Rejection Dysphoria in ADHD (Not Too Sensitive)

For those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder), rejection dysphoria can present a unique challenge. You might face stigma and be labeled as “too sensitive.” However, there is a complex interplay of neurobiology and emotions. Understanding the signs can help you navigate their experiences more effectively. Here are some key indicators that what you’re feeling might be rejection dysphoria, not simply being “too sensitive.”

#adhd #neurodivergent #mentalhealth

Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes and is not meant to be used as a diagnosis. If you relate to this video and suspect if you have ADHD or rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) , we advice you to consult a professional.

Writer: Sara Del Villar & Chloe Avenasa
Editor & Script Manager: Kelly Soong
Voice Over: Gabriel Miles
Animator: Kayla (new animator)
Thumbnail Artist: Krisha
YouTube Manager: Cindy Cheong

SOURCES:

[Mari-onyp]

“The world does not revolve around you” and i took that PERSONALLY dhwusnsns

[divinereaper]

Pressed on the video sarcastically and got a reality check slap 😂 this is way too relatable. Especially when you suddenly get sucked into your head after u said “have a good day” to a stranger and you start wondering how you sounded to him, and then ending up saying have a good day out loud, then you realize you are not talking in your head and you start laughing and wondering what the hell were u even thinking about 🥲

[Pika]

I am autistic and have RSD. It's not just an ADHD thing, it's common in autism and neurodivergence in general, and personally, it has me in a chokehold I can never escape from. All eight points in this video are literally things I have to deal with every day. It sucks and I HATE it!

[ant-hwos]

Man, its nice to feel understood, especially when you may have thought you were a nuisance, or emotionally unstable

[noobzito]

Did someone say ADHD?
Anyway, here's the timestamp!

-0:49 Embarassment & self-consciousness
-1:14 A crisis and confidence
-1:41 Overwhelming emotions when rejected
-2:07 Overthinking & self-blame
-2:30 People-pleasing out of fear
-2:52 Avoiding failure
-3:16 Compensatory perfectionism
-3:46 Negative perceptions

[allylambert]

I was diagnosed with ADHD at about age 9, I’m 27 now. This is the first time I’ve heard of rejection dysphoria and its connection to ADHD. This makes so much sense and explains a lot about how/why I process the world around me the way I do.

[kujo]

Rejection hits me harder because all I ever get is rejected. No matter how many times I pick myself up, dust myself off, and convince myself that next time is gonna be different, it always ends up the same.

[lindaalvarez]

I've had ADHD & am extremely over sensitive for the smallest thing 😢. I hate feeling this way. Feeling rejected, really hits me hard & I end up disconnecting myself to those people. I despise when people tell me "Don't be so oversensitive" &/or "Don't take things so personally." No one should tell anyone how to feel. Everyone's feelings are 100% Valid!

[Sabretoothsquirrel]

I had problems in elementary school and eventually got diagnosed with "mild" ADHD. It got easier to navigate school and I did fairly well in high school and further studies to a point where I thought I had sort of outgrown or learned to manage my ADHD well enough to not be affected by it anymore.
Fast forward about ten years to today. Just in the last couple of days I've found several videos about RSD and I've realized there might be a reason why I've been so miserable for most of my adult life! I recognize myself so much in the descriptions of RSD. The low self esteem, the intense fear of rejection and failure that I didn't realize I had. It's been eye opening. My ADHD is definitely still affecting my life!
I'm going to seek professional help to understand more about it and hopefully learn to be happier with myself.

[Streptospondylus]

I don’t want to self-diagnose, but this is so relatable that it’s almost frightening.

[domo]

Well, that hurts, striking directly into my heart.

[MemoryLaneCentral]

It’s not even that, but I tend to overthink to the point where I am mortified of Rejection Euphoria.
Not necassarily that I have been rejected yet, but I can get so anxious and upset over the fear of even being rejected.
But that would make sense because I have been supsected with ADHD, and resonate with many symptoms.

This whole video really hit home for me so far...

[eksortso]

I know that it's better to seek medical help than to self-diagnose. But awareness of RSD will make it easier to find ways to overcome it.

[itznikiiii]

TIMESTAMPS

0:49 ~ 1. Embarrassment & self-consciousness
1:13 ~ 2. A crisis in confidence
1:41 ~ 3. Overwhelming emotions when rejected
2:07 ~ 4. Overthinking & self-blame
2:30 ~ 5. People-pleasing out of fear
2:52 ~ 6. Avoiding failure
3:15 ~ 7. Compensatory perfectionism
3:46 ~ 8. Negative perceptions

[Normalaatsra]

You might not succeed to learn to manage the preceding emotions in CBT, but you can learn to resolve the aftermath. My biggest peeve is being the social scapegoat whether it's true that I was in the wrong or not. I've become excellent in interpersonal conflict communication nowadays, yet my last relapse made me bottle such intense emotions that I ruined my night out by crying hysterically and angrily on the way to the hangout.

But I'm thankful for CBT for teaching me that nothing is truly negative. I asked the person who I thought pinned me into this situation to clarify what their real thoughts were, and as expected they are disconnected from that negative thinking world I had, and I was absolutely relieved. Woke up the next day with very little pain from the day before, which is an ADHD thing to forget everything after waking anyway. And I was able to move on.

[Tofu_shrimp]

goodness, it sounds so much like me, and this is my first time hearing about RSD 😂

[UnpopularOpinionSports]

1. Embarrassment and Self-Consciousness

2. A crisis in confidence

3. Overwhelming emotions when rejected.

4. Overthinking and self-blame.

5. People pleasing out of fear.

6. Avoiding failure

7. Compensatory perfectionism.

8. Negative perceptions.

[cobaltprime]

Yeah this is me. I started off as a shy kid. And it just got worse over time. Every single one of these points is what I go thru.
Doesn’t help I was actually rejected many times. Friendzoned usually.
Now I’m almost 30, don’t have a gf because I’m tired of getting rejected, or even scammed. Lost touch with all my friends due to the pandemic. And now my perfectionism has gotten worse so I avoid anything new.
It’s a losing battle. A war with myself with no end. Only moments where I’ve distracted myself with something meaningless.
I’m writing this on a particularly down day. I’m not normally this depressing. I’m very tired.

[annariley]

i thought i was just a sensitive person but this makes so much sense to me now i think about it. and it’s probably why i have so many anger outbursts due to my adhd

[hyundaielantra]

I actually have this as part of my ADHD diagnosis. It's evolved into actual depression at this point.