From childhood to adulthood, we experience rejection in a variety of ways and learn how to respond to it. Those of us with ADHD often experience this frequently and at an early age. As a result, we tend to have heightened sensitivity to feelings of exclusion or dismissal. This episode involves a critical self-examination and reflection time to determine whether or not you may demonstrate rejection sensitivity.

I get bold and honest in this episode as I challenge “expert” opinion on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). And honestly, I’m scared you’re going to reject me for it. I reject the idea that our ADHD itself is the genetic and neurological CAUSE of our rejection issues. No. Growing up in a world that constantly rejects us is the cause of our rejection issues. 

In part 3 of the rejection series, we talk about rejection trauma from the beautiful perspective of a therapist with ADHD, Helen Villiers. Helen explains important terms such as toxic shame, moral defense, mirroring and stonewalling. My favorite part is when Helen helps me identify why it can be so hard to not take rejection personally and why I look for mirroring in relationships.

The last episode of the rejection series is a good one on how to respond to and soothe the pain from rejection. Avoidance, people-pleasing and perfectionism are responses that many of us identify with as a way of limiting the amount of rejection in our lives. These three coping mechanisms can be replaced with productive strategies, however, which I have double the options for!