Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
For people with ADHD, this term means a lot. It provides an explanation for the many times they’ve found themselves reacting to any form of rejection, big or small with an immense amount of emotional pain and turmoil.
For people without ADHD, this may be one of those symptoms that is lesser known or they didn’t know it had a name and research attached to it.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is when someone feels extreme emotional pain from rejection, criticism, or even the possibility of disappointing others. It’s not just being a little upset—it can feel overwhelming, like a deep, intense sadness, embarrassment, or even anger.
Performance Reviews and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria
Performance reviews, 360’s, appraisals, employee evaluations or whatever you want to call them. They’re standardised and already flawed to begin with, let alone for someone with ADHD. An exercise whose only goal is to put people into boxes, including literal ones. Measuring everyone against the same criteria, when you consider that everyone is different anyway, the added layer of complexity of ADHD symptoms can make these very hard to swallow.