RSD and ADHD/CPTSD

How to Control Your Emotions and RSD in Real Time
When RSD hits, it hits hard. Use this guide to manage intense emotions in the moment.
Read the article here.

“How I Dismantle My RSD with Mindfulness”
“I don’t always get it right, and RSD sometimes gets the best of me, but regularly practicing mindfulness has undoubtedly upped my emotional resilience. Most importantly, I’m learning to be gentle with myself.”
Read the article here.

For many people with ADHD, rejection doesn’t just sting; it overwhelms. A passing comment, a shift in tone, or a feeling of being left out can trigger rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) — an intense emotional reaction that is rapid, physical, and almost impossible to control.

Learn what is currently understood about RSD, why it remains under-recognized in research, how it shows up in everyday life — and what helps in the moment of emotional overwhelm.

You will learn:

• What is happening in the brains and bodies of people with ADHD to make rejection sensitivity feels so intense
• How rejection sensitivity can shape behavior patterns, such as self-abandonment, avoidance, and perfectionism
• What to do in the moment when you feel triggered
• Practical ways to build emotional resilience and raise your threshold for triggers over time
• What partners, family members, and colleagues can do to respond helpfully (and what to avoid)

EXPERT: James Kustow, BMedSci, BMBS, MRCPsych 

DATE and TIME: Thursday, June 11, 2026 @ 1pm EDT 

 This webinar will be recorded. Register here.

Rejection Sensitivity

For many years now I know that I react "allergic" against perceived rejections. While I have worked on myself to not perceive everything as rejection at work, I wasn't able to do so on a private level.

Knowing this, I followed a link to the article Rejection Sensitivity on psychologytoday.com.

What I didn't know was that there is a proposal "that especially high levels of rejection sensitivity be classified as rejection sensitive dysphoria or RSD" as it is not in the DSM:

RSD has not been recognized by the DSM, an the concept itself has not yet been widely studied nor given validated diagnostic guidelines. Still, it has gained attention in recent years, most notably among adults with ADHD or borderline personality.

I am glad, I don't find myself in the Signs of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria but thought I share this interesting article nevertheless.