According to this study published by the American Journal of Psychiatry, emotional dysregulation and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD for short) often accompany neurodevelopmental conditions like Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).
Although many people with ADHD experience RSD, it still is not currently recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Because of this lack of recognition, there’s still a lot about RSD that’s unknown and misunderstood.
For those who want to learn more about this condition, some common questions are answered below, complete with information about how RSD affects those who have been diagnosed with ADHD and other disorders.
Table of Contents
(click on a question to be directed quickly)
What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?
What causes Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?
How does Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria affect your life?
How is RSD related to ADHD?
How do you treat Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?
What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?
RSD is a condition characterized by severe emotional sensitivity and pain. These feelings are triggered when the person senses that they’re being rejected.
If someone with RSD feels that they’ve received criticism or rejection (especially if it comes from someone important in their life), they may take that rejection (real or perceived) harder than the average person. They might experience a strong emotional response, emotional outburst, or overreaction.
People with RSD may also have other mental health conditions like Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autism, or mood disorders like depression or anxiety. However, one does not have to have another diagnosis to deal with RSD.
What Causes RSD?
When a person with RSD has a strong emotional reaction to feeling rejected, a lot of factors contribute. The following are some of the most well-known influences on those with RSD:
- Facial Expressions: People with RSD experience more dramatic changes in their brains when they’re met with a facial expression that they associate with rejection or criticism.
- Attention Bias: People who deal with RSD tend to pay more attention to and look out for signs of rejection than others. This is known as attention bias, and it causes them to be more aware of when someone might be rejecting or criticizing them.
- Misinterpretations: People with RSD are more likely to misinterpret people’s actions or responses and assume that they are signs of rejection or dislike.
Researchers and mental health professionals don’t know exactly what causes RSD and the issues listed above. However, these situations and conditions may play a role in someone developing extreme sensitivity to feelings of rejection:
- Childhood Experiences: Those who experience rejection, neglect, or abuse as children are