Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria

[BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation]

It affects autistic and adhd people.

www.webmd.com/add-adhd/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria

Does anybody here relate?

Yes I can relate so well to this. I didn't actually know there was a name for it until recently but it describes so much for me. At times I feel it has taken over my whole life and made me withdraw a lot

Yes, withdrawal is a natural response I think. It's a horrible feeling.

@BarrowInFurnessRailwayStation it really is. I think for me it's a mixture of trauma and bullying aswell which in part led to the rejection, it's a very difficult thing to deal with sometimes but I'm just relieved to actually find out that there is a name for it

Learning about this literally changed my whole sense of self. I can detach better now that I can name it and understand why I’m reacting so strongly to something relatively minor, and I can ride through the crushing awful emotions knowing that it will pass.

I used to feel I was a snowflake, lacking resilience etc

Totally relate to this and I find it really interesting. It explains a lot.

I relate to it. And I don't think it was to do with anything in my childhood. I think I was born like that and I also see it in my son from when he was 3 years old.

He'd go to a park and as soon as he saw other kids he'd get upset and ask me why they aren't playing with him...before he had even attempted to interact with them.

I definitely withdraw. I'd rather go unnoticed than be noticed and risk being rejected. I think this is why I was never bullied despite my differences because I always knew how to go unnoticed.

Yes, I strongly relate however I've had a lot of DBT that's been fine tuned for my autistic/ADHD brain and whilst I still struggle immensely with social anxiety and perceived rejection, I can recognise it well enough to not let it affect me so much. Not quite there yet but much more at ease than I ever was before I understood it.
Really struggled a lot with it in relationships but 2 were abusive which heightened my RSD as my ex partners would know my triggers and use them against me.

Thankfully I do not have to endure any of that anymore and I doubt I'd allow it to affect me in the future as I've done a lot of work on myself around setting healthy boundaries but it's very real and intense emotional pain and quite common in autistic/adhd people.

Yep this is me.
Any tips in dealing with it?

Yep this is me.
Any tips in dealing with it?

I honestly haven't found a way of dealing with it. I just tend to avoid people. There might be tips online 🤔