RSD - What is it and why does it happen?

Have you ever felt a discomfort so intense it seems to take on a physical form, with a weight pressing on your chest or a knot in your stomach? The ancient Greeks had a term for this unbearable feeling: 'dysphoria'. For those of us with ADHD, this sensation can often be traced back to Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) – a term coined by Dr. William Dodson to describe the acute fear of rejection that many of us face.

It's a pain that is emotional yet viscerally felt, stemming from the heightened sensitivity to rejection that affects up to 99% of adults with ADHD. In fact, nearly a third of individuals with ADHD report that managing RSD is one of their greatest challenges.

Although the impact of RSD can be profound, there are effective strategies we can use to lessen its grip on our lives. In part one we explore why those of us with ADHD struggle so often with RSD and in part two we look at a toolkit of strategies to help manage RSD.