The intense despair following a rejection, akin to the world's end? There's a psychological label assigned to it.
Hey there! So, you've hit a topic that's been gaining a lot of traction in the ADHD community – Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD for short. I've got the lowdown on this emotional rollercoaster that many folks with ADHD experience, thanks to an informative deep dive into the subject.
RSD, in essence, is when someone with ADHD has an intense emotional response to perceived rejection, teasing, criticism, or the feeling of failure. Erin Ryder, a teacher from the metro Detroit area, summed it up nicely, saying it's like jumping from a shiny blue balloon into a world of whiplash emotions.
Now, let me take you back to when RSD graced the online world – back in 2010 at an ADHD conference, where Dr. Bill Dodson gave a talk about this phenomenon. Dr. Dodson, a psychiatrist who's been treating people with ADHD for ages, didn't come up with this term himself, but he sure popularized it. In fact, he's since outlined 12 criteria for RSD, talked about it on podcasts, and written extensively on the subject.
But what really sets RSD apart from mere rejection sensitivity? Well, with RSD, folks aren't only sensitive to perceived criticism, they're extra hard on themselves – believing that they've fallen short. And when they're teased, criticized, or rejected, their emotions switch faster than aFrom fast forward to slow motion show on TV. Mind you, Dysphoria here means that unhappy, uneasy, or dissatisfied feeling.
Though Dr. Dodson's ideas have been buzzing around the internet, some mental health professionals are still scratching their heads about it. Yet, even those who question the term aren't surprised that some ADHD folks welcome it with open arms.
After all, people with ADHD are often diagnosed with mood disorders and are known for big emotional reactions. Some may wonder, "Really? Why such a melodramatic reaction to a missed deadline or an unreturned call?" Well, that's where RSD comes in, making people feel like they've spiked a football into the end zone, only to have it ripped away at the last second.
So what can you do to ease the sting of RSD? There's currently no established pharmaceutical treatment for it, but therapy has shown promising results. And here are some handy tips for anyone who's RSD-prone:
- Acknowledge your sensitivity: Simply being aware that you tend to react strongly to perceived rejection can help you gain some perspective.
- Consider exposure therapy: If you find yourself avoiding certain situations because of a fear of rejection, working with a therapist to gradually expose yourself to uncomfortable scenarios can help build your confidence.
- Give the benefit of the doubt: The person you're speaking with might not have negative intentions. Seeking clarity can help bring things into focus.
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) describes a condition. It's particularly common in people with ADHD, causing intense emotional responses to perceived rejection, teasing, criticism, or failure.
- In the health-and-wellness and mental-health communities, RSD is often associated with people-pleasers, as those affected are more sensitive and extra hard on themselves when faced with the perceived shortcomings arising from rejection, teasing, or criticism.
- Science has not yet developed a specific pharmaceutical treatment for RSD, but mental-health professionals have found that therapy can offer promising results.
- To ease the effects of RSD, pleasers can employ strategies such as acknowledging their sensitivity, considering exposure therapy to build confidence, and giving the benefit of the doubt to others, as seeking clarity can help manage their emotional responses effectively.
