General

Your child comes home from school, their shoulders slumped and eyes brimming with tears. You ask what’s wrong, and they mutter something about a classmate’s joke or a teacher’s passing comment. To you, it might seem small, something that most kids would brush off, but to them – their world is crashing along with their self-esteem. They may have ADHD and RSD. Their pain is raw, mountainous, immediate, and consuming. You are left to figure out how to comfort them and prevent long-term damage. This is what parenting a child with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) can feel like. For a parent, it can create a helpless feeling, seeing your child crumble over things that wouldn’t rattle most people and not knowing how to protect them from a world that is sometimes too harsh. Why do so many children have ADHD and RSD? While it is possible to have RSD without ADHD, the two are most often linked. ADHD isn’t just about lack of focus or inattentiveness. Those are what most people talk about when they think of ADHD. It also affects emotional regulation. The part of the brain that helps to manage emotions, the prefrontal cortex, doesn’t always work efficiently in people with ADHD. This can lead to emotions that feel big and hard to control. Signs of ADHD and RSD RSD can show up in various ways. Here are some signs that your child may have RSD. Extreme emotional pain They might feel devastated by what other people see as only mild criticism or rejections. Fear of rejection Those with RDS may avoid situations where rejection is possible, like applying for jobs, asking someone out on a date, or sharing an idea. People pleasing They might go out of their way to avoid upsetting others, sometimes even at [...]