How Does Therapy Help With Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria with ADHD?
“Why aren’t they texting me back right away? I thought the conversation was going well but I guess they hate me now. I should just block them since they clearly aren’t into me”
“There’s no point in going out to that party. They said I was welcome to come if I wanted to but they didn’t invite me so that means they probably don’t want me there at all.”
Have you had thoughts like these that make you feel like you’ve been punched in the chest? Do you sometimes withdraw from social situations or explode at people because you feel so overwhelmed by the pain? You’re not alone. This is a common phenomenon for people with ADHD and it’s called RSD, or rejection sensitive dysphoria.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is defined as intense vulnerability to perceived rejection or criticism, particularly from important people in your life. RSD manifests as extreme emotional and sometimes physical pain that comes in a flash. RSD can be very disruptive in our relationships which is why therapy can help us to cope with this aspect of ADHD.
RSD often comes from the PERCEPTION of rejection, not from clear cut rejection itself, which is still painful but more manageable. Usually RSD strikes when there has been a slight shift in the tone of a conversation, an offhand glance or a moment where someone is giving you constructive feedback. We will often do anything we can to avoid feeling RSD as it’s so intensely painful but this often leads to stuff like people pleasing, lashing out at others when we feel like they have rejected us, or dodging social situations altogether.
In therapy, you can work with your therapist to discover your particular triggers for RSD and find ways to help you navigate through those intense feelings. With your therapist, you can talk about how you feel when you perceive that you are being rejected and process those feelings before taking action. Ultimately, therapy can help you to step off the RSD rollercoaster and find more consistency in your relationships. If you feel that ADHD therapy could be helpful for you to navigate RSD, please get in touch with us to schedule a free consultation.