{"id":782,"date":"2025-07-14T17:11:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/782\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T17:11:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T17:11:05","slug":"rsd-is-common-with-adhd-here-are-its-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/782\/","title":{"rendered":"RSD Is ‘Common’ With ADHD \u2013 Here Are Its Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rejection-sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, is not an officially recognised diagnosis, the Cleveland Clinic says<\/a>. But it is sometimes used in connection with formal diagnoses, like ADHD.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis condition is linked to ADHD and experts suspect it happens due to differences in brain structure,\u201d the Cleveland Clinic adds.<\/p>\n

ADHD resource ADDITUDE<\/a> calls RSD a \u201ccommon ADHD trait\u201d, though experts are in disagreement about whether it\u2019s a trait or side effect.<\/a> Nonetheless, a 2024 paper suggested<\/a> a strong relationship between the two.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly is RSD? <\/p>\n

RSD is an extreme sensitivity to feelings of rejection. The term\u2019s last word, \u201cdysphoria\u201d, comes from an Ancient Greek word<\/a> meaning \u201cuncomfortable\u201d or \u201chard to bear\u201d.<\/p>\n

Cleveland Clinic says:<\/a> \u201cWhile rejection is something people usually don\u2019t like, the negative feelings that come with RSD are stronger and can be harder to manage or both.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople with RSD are also more likely to interpret vague interactions as rejection and may find it difficult to control their reactions.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those with RSD, something which might be a throwaway comment for one person can come across as a hostile, hurtful insult. <\/p>\n

It may be linked to issues with emotional regulation, which neurodivergent people and those with personality disorders <\/a>might struggle with more.<\/p>\n

What are the signs of RSD?<\/p>\n

People-pleasing, overreacting to perceived rejection, and struggling to interpret vague or neutral interactions as anything other than bad are common signs, the Cleveland Clinic says.<\/a><\/p>\n

Feeling easily embarrassed or self-conscious, having low self-esteem, avoiding projects or tasks that include a risk of failure, and being preoccupied with perfection can also be symptoms. <\/p>\n

It may be passed<\/a> down genetically. <\/p>\n

NHS Devon Partnership Trust<\/a> writes that while \u201cpeople with ADHD might identify with the definition of RSD… it won\u2019t be given as a diagnosis in the UK\u201d. <\/p>\n

But while you are unlikely to receive a formal RSD diagnosis, you should speak to a doctor if<\/a> you\u2019re experiencing persistent difficulties with: attention, mood, focus, sensory processing, social interactions, or learning that disrupt your day-to-day life.<\/p>\n

According to private medical centre, the Dr Jenni Clinic,<\/a> talking therapies and emotional regulation techniques might help manage RSD. Some ADHD medications can also support emotional regulation, \u201creducing the intensity of RSD symptoms\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rejection-sensitive dysphoria, or RSD, is not an officially recognised diagnosis, the Cleveland Clinic says. But it is sometimes…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":783,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[736,59,102,737,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-adhd","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-neurodivergent","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}