Explaining Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (ADHD Awareness Month)

A short video where I answer some common questions I get about about RSD (and also correcting the misconceptions). Specifically explaining how to talk to your counselor/ therapist about RSD, why RSD is not in the DSM and that RSD is not a separate condition to ADHD.

#adhd #rsd #adhdrsd #adhdawarenessmonth

[grace-n-mercy]

You said a lot in this short video, but God it goes so much deeper than feeling rejected or perceiving rejection. It is anticipating rejection and feeling as if you been punched in the gut or a heavy brick is laying on top of your chest.

You can go from feeling happy to feeling like RSD came in like a wrecking ball; wrecking your whole mood. And it comes on so fast, and in a snap of a finger you feel it so intensely.

It gives no warning, and often times you hate yourself for feeling that way. That something that is in your head, with no evidence attached can seem so real. That you just cannot shake until you hear from that person.

My RSD is what leads me into my impulsive behaviors and not giving a damn; it is what causes me to shut down and withdraw, thinking people don't like me or I am just pushing them away.

When RSD kicks up for me, I literally lose my breath. And depending on the situation it can last for days or weeks, or even longer. And I really experience RSD when it comes to people I like or start to feel an attachment to.

I have already thought multiple times that my therapist is getting tired of me and she doesn't like me, or she is starting to not like me. But I know she does, and me projecting those thoughts on her is not fair.

I also have BPD, so reading natural body language when I am in that state becomes so difficult, I really have no words for it. I know I will get better because I have a good therapist (she's not perfect, as none of us are, but she is the best therapist I ever had, which I get scared because it seems too good to be true, and because of my BPD I fear that I am going to push her away).

I absolutely hate this, but right now when the feelings come all I can do is feel them and write about them.

I have a tendency to get attached to people that I feel understands me, or just allows me to be who I am. I am working in therapy when it comes to my BPD favorite person, who is also my ADHD hyperfixation person. Literally low key obsessed with her, and again, I try to stop the feelings but they are so strong. I am really trying to work on healthy attachments. It's just right now my mind in its dichitimous thinking is telling me that seems near impossible. But I am not giving up and I will put the work in.

But just wanted to say, yes people feel sensitive to rejection, but the key word in RSD is the word Dysphoria, which means unbearable. William Dodson on the YouTube channel ADDitude has really good content on RSD and emotional dysregulation.

Many people have strong reactions to rejection, or even perceived rejection, but not many outside of ADHD mostly, and other mental health disorders such as BPD and Autism, have (R)ejection (S)ensitive (D)ysphoria.

[robertaspeyer]

Thank you for making the videos. I am 64 and have struggled with mental health issues all my life. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist to discuss the possibility that it may be adult ADHD. I have he symptoms of RSD both anger and isolation manifested at various times throughout my life. I had severe panic attacks starting at 13 that developed into agoraphobia by my youth through twenties and worked through that with CBT and Xanax. Anxiety is an issue as at times has been depression. One therapist in my thirties thought I might have rapid cycling bipolar called cyclothymia. Reading about RSD has brought me to the idea that maybe it has always been undiagnosed ADHD. I am smart but have always had dyslexia especially around numbers. Actually a classic case when I read about it. I have been very successful financially by starting my own business (could never hold a job working for someone else because I was always late, got bored and basically tried to do things my own way not the way the employer wanted it done). I have always had these RSD symptoms though I never had an easy way to describe just how painful it is. I was bullied in school, would always be put in advanced classes then demoted out after the first semester for failing math and not taking notes and being disruptive. WHY DID NO ONE EVER EVEN SUGGEST OR CONSIDER ADHD IN 50 YEARS??? It’s sad to think might have gone undiagnosed for half a century. But I plan to get evaluated now and see where that gets me!

[deasiasanders]

Makes so much sense acting out as a joke and then becoming an adult not wanting to do that ever again so now your so hypersensitive

[johnbarfield]

It has to do with borderline personality disorder too.

[damnshitashley]

when i tried to explain "rejection sensitive dysphoria" to my therapist I could she was very unamused by all these fake official terms for all these symptoms. btw the "rejection sensitive dysphoria" term was just made up by that one doctor that ADDitude references a lot. There isn't any other peer reviewed material that actually uses that phrase

[valentinrafael]

It can be quantified but most of them are just too lazy to do such a study.