What to Know About ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThe Connection Between ADHD and RSDComplicationsDiagnosisSupport and TreatmentCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

The Connection Between ADHD and RSD

Complications

Diagnosis

Support and Treatment

Coping

Close

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)occurs when an individual experiences intense, severe emotional pain in response to perceived rejection, criticism, or failure. This goes beyond simply disliking the experience of rejection, and the individual finds these feelings intolerable or excruciating rather than just unpleasant.

People who experience RSD might have difficulty regulating their emotions or healthily expressing themselves while they experience this pain. Many people withattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)experience RSD. While not everyone who experiences RSD has ADHD, and not everyone with ADHD experiences RSD, it is a common phenomenon in the ADHD community.

This article discusses the connection between ADHD andrejectionsensitive dysphoria, as well as how to treat RSD and support someone with this symptom.

Although limited research presently exists on RSD and its link to ADHD, research shows that people with ADHD tend to feel emotions more intensely than people without ADHD, and this contributes toemotional dysregulation.Difficultyregulating strong emotionscan contribute to RSD.

Similarly, children with ADHD experience morechildhood traumaand abuse than their non-ADHD peers,including the stress of masking and functioning in a world that is not designed for their brains. These factors contribute to emotional difficulties, including RSD in adulthood.

Several people with ADHD and lived experience with RSD share how their experience of RSD is connected to their ADHD symptoms:

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Complications of ADHD and RSD

Dysphoriarefers to feelings of distress and discomfort, and the intensity of these feelings can be unbearable. For some, RSD can be so intense that theemotional painfeels like a physical injury.

Those interviewed for this article share their experience of RSD:

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Diagnosing ADHD and RSD

RSD is not officially recognized as a diagnosis or symptom in theDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, if you see a therapist, they might note patterns of behavior and emotional responses to rejection that are consistent with RSD. Additionally, individuals might notice that their emotional experience is consistent with RSD.

If you have beendiagnosed with ADHDand notice significant difficultycopingwith rejection, you can learn more about RSD and talk to others with ADHD who experience RSD. If the symptoms of RSD resonate with your experience, you may be experiencing RSD.

Support and Treatment for ADHD and RSD

People with RSD can work through their experiences and develop healthy ways to communicate and regulate emotions in therapy. If you experience RSD related to a history oftrauma,trauma-informed caremight help your symptoms.

People who experience RSD benefit from increased social support and connectedness.While there is currently little research on therapy treatment for RSD, research shows that RSD is more prominent in individuals who are members ofminoritized racial groupsand genders,and so addressing systemic contributions to these symptoms is necessary for reducing RSD.

Ifsomeone you lovehas ADHD and experiences RSD, you can show them support. Those who shared their experiences for this article had feedback on how the people in their lives support them when they experience RSD:

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Coping With ADHD and RSD

It can be challenging tocopewith the intense feelings that come with RSD. Here is what some have found helpful:

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blader JC.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the dysregulation of emotion generation and emotional expression.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2021;30(2):349-360.Ewe LP.ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review.Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 2019;24(2):136-155.Boodoo R, Lagman JG, Jairath B, Baweja R.A review of ADHD and childhood trauma: treatment challenges and clinical guidance.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2022;9(4):137-145.Hsu DT, Jarcho JM.“Next up for psychiatry: rejection sensitivity and the social brain.”Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;46(1):239-240.Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Nesdale D, Webb HJ, Khatibi M, Downey G.A longitudinal rejection sensitivity model of depression and aggression: unique roles of anxiety, anger, blame, withdrawal and retribution.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016;44(7):1291-1307.

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Blader JC.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the dysregulation of emotion generation and emotional expression.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2021;30(2):349-360.Ewe LP.ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review.Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 2019;24(2):136-155.Boodoo R, Lagman JG, Jairath B, Baweja R.A review of ADHD and childhood trauma: treatment challenges and clinical guidance.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2022;9(4):137-145.Hsu DT, Jarcho JM.“Next up for psychiatry: rejection sensitivity and the social brain.”Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;46(1):239-240.Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Nesdale D, Webb HJ, Khatibi M, Downey G.A longitudinal rejection sensitivity model of depression and aggression: unique roles of anxiety, anger, blame, withdrawal and retribution.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016;44(7):1291-1307.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Blader JC.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the dysregulation of emotion generation and emotional expression.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2021;30(2):349-360.Ewe LP.ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review.Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 2019;24(2):136-155.Boodoo R, Lagman JG, Jairath B, Baweja R.A review of ADHD and childhood trauma: treatment challenges and clinical guidance.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2022;9(4):137-145.Hsu DT, Jarcho JM.“Next up for psychiatry: rejection sensitivity and the social brain.”Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;46(1):239-240.Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Nesdale D, Webb HJ, Khatibi M, Downey G.A longitudinal rejection sensitivity model of depression and aggression: unique roles of anxiety, anger, blame, withdrawal and retribution.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016;44(7):1291-1307.

Blader JC.Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and the dysregulation of emotion generation and emotional expression.Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2021;30(2):349-360.

Ewe LP.ADHD symptoms and the teacher–student relationship: a systematic literature review.Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties. 2019;24(2):136-155.

Boodoo R, Lagman JG, Jairath B, Baweja R.A review of ADHD and childhood trauma: treatment challenges and clinical guidance.Curr Dev Disord Rep. 2022;9(4):137-145.

Hsu DT, Jarcho JM.“Next up for psychiatry: rejection sensitivity and the social brain.”Neuropsychopharmacol. 2021;46(1):239-240.

Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Nesdale D, Webb HJ, Khatibi M, Downey G.A longitudinal rejection sensitivity model of depression and aggression: unique roles of anxiety, anger, blame, withdrawal and retribution.J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2016;44(7):1291-1307.

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