Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
and Why You Have Never Heard of It
I’m not exactly new to the world of neurodivergence, from a professional or personal standpoint. I even knew what Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria was. Or at least, I thought I knew. Despite my previous experience, when a friend gave me this article below to read, it was the epitome of a lightbulb moment. I gained not only a richer understanding of RSD than I had ever had before, but also an understanding of how and why emotional regulation was given so little attention in research of neurodivergent children and adults. That had always baffled me previously. Emotional regulation, or lack thereof, is a huge part of the neurodivergent experience.
If you know what Sensory Processing Disorder is, you have a framework for understanding what Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is. In SPD, the brain over reacts to specific types of sensory input (or under reacts).
I highly recommend the article, even if you do not have (or do not think you have) RSD because its insights into what and why aspects of ADHD made it into the DSM were extremely informative.
New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
By William Dodson, MD, LF-APA ADDitude Magazine, updated July 10, 2024
https://www.additudemag.com/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria-adhd-emotional-dysregulation/