Free Resource: Understanding Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

What Is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

No one likes rejection or feeling like a failure. But for people with attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD), these feelings can be debilitating — and may manifest as either crippling sadness or uncontrollable rage.

There’s a name for this phenomenon: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD. In people with ADHD, RSD can lead to an all-encompassing need to please others, or it can result in someone with ADHD giving up on anything that is perceived to have a risk of failure.

RSD is treatable — but first, you need to understand it. Use this quick-reference guide to get the facts about rejection sensitive dysphoria: why it happens, what it looks like, and what you can do to get the help you need.