What is rejection sensitive dysphoria ?
By Bart Vulliamy
Rejection sensitive dysphoria ( RSD or rejection sensitivity ) is an affliction common amongst people with ADHD , autism , personality disorders and other mental health conditions .
RSD is the heightened emotional sensitivity to real or perceived rejection , criticism or feelings of inadequacy , causing overwhelming emotional and / or physical responses . This is not just limited to negative social feedback but also neutral feedback , meaning that the intent of the person from whom the feedback comes does not have to be negative for this to be felt .
RSD is thought to be a result of emotional dysregulation , which 70 % of adults with ADHD struggle with , or trauma , which 80 % -85 % of them have . “ By the time a child with ADHD turns 12 , they hear 20,000 more negative , corrective or critical messages than the average child who doesn ’ t have ADHD ,” said Michael Jellinek , MD . This can lead to worsened mental health in adulthood and can make one further insecure or damage their self-esteem .
Rejection sensitivity makes friendship , relationships , employment and any social situations difficult . In the workplace , RSD can show up in interviews , performance reviews and in communication , giving the feeling of a hostile environment when it is not necessarily the case .
Everyone experiences RSD differently . It can come in brief , intense reactions to a specific trigger , or it can be experienced daily as a constant . No matter how rejection dysphoria is experienced , it is debilitating for social interactions . People with RSD can quickly become people-pleasers or social hermits to avoid feeling humiliated .
When in the workplace or in social situations , I ’ m what ’ s called a high-masking neurodivergent meaning that I can hide my disability from others . The flip side of this is that for every social
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