Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), a diagnosable, common and unwanted sidekick of ADHD, and the curse of most of my working life.
Imagine being hyper-aware of any slight sign of perceived or real disapproval or criticism, no matter how small. Which then manifests into embedded, long-term intense feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and self-doubt.
Here are some examples of these ‘small’ incidents:
💥 You send an email to ta colleague and receive a brief or direct response, which you interpret as a sign of annoyance or dissatisfaction towards you, and this cloud stays with you all-day.
💥 When you believe that the one moody colleague is moody because of something YOU have done. No one else – just you. And you spend the day casting a negative lens on every single interaction.
💥 Constructive feedback, which could support you and elevate your work, is internalised as a personal attack, making you feel ashamed and eroding your confidence. Worse, you become verbally defensive
ADHDers can have poor working memories but every incident of RSD lingers, further solidifying the feelings of confusion and worthlessness.
It is a tiring, confidence-sapping condition, and has made me quit jobs before. All based on my own, mostly incorrect, perception of events.
Post ADHD diagnosis I’ve learned a lot about RSD and recognise where it shows up in my life. This allows me to shut it down quickly, at times, before it takes over my day.
If you think you have RSD #Becurious and learn where it impacts your life. And then #BeKind. You have an amazing, unique brain, with strengths and passion by the bucketload.
You sometimes just need to believe it.
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