How to Recognize Your Child’s “Rejection Dysphoria”

A term gaining momentum in the neurodivergent community is rejection dysphoria (RSD). to criticize feel like themIt has been rejected or rejected in some way. Children with ADHD often have her RSD, which is often misinterpreted as ‘bad sport’, ‘too sensitive’ or ‘crybaby’. Here, we outline the signs of RSD and talk to some experts about how to help your child deal with it.

How does the RSD “look”?

If you are a visual person, Check out this TikTok from Dr. Ned Hallowell, Psychiatrist He has ADHD and specializes in ADHD. There he outlines some of the qualities of a person with both ADHD and his RSD.they include:

• hypersensitivity
• Meemotionally vulnerable
• [Heightened] esympathy

• Often feels rejected, even when it doesn’t really exist or is not intended
• Self-criticism or negative soliloquy, including self-harm
• an outburst of emotions
• social withdrawal
• low self-esteem

P.many RSD patients feelings of rejection The actual physical pain is more severe than the emotional pain Neurotypes feel when faced with criticism.or can reveal Interpersonal relationships, school situations, and eventual employment become difficult to deal with. However, RSD is not a clinical diagnosis in itself. It is also not included in the DSM, the official document listing mental health conditions.

Why does RSD go with ADHD?

One reason for the higher prevalence of RSD in children with ADHD is amount they may refuse face from their Hyperactive, impulsive, or inattentive behavior“Because of these symptoms, they tend to receive more direction and negative feedback from adults than their peers,” says psychologist Fatima Watt, PhD. france can childrenChildren with ADHD are told to “stop”, “be careful” and “stop”.” More often than others.

Continued negative feedback can influence behavior. “If you’re frequently told to stop doing something that’s hard to stop, you’re often sensitive to other people’s feedback,” he says. Dr. Emily Kinga child psychologist who specializes in the upbringing and education of neurodivergent children and teens. study show Children with ADHD receive a disproportionate amount of criticism compared to their peers.

Doctor. Watt adds: “The development of RSD involves the central nervous system. Due to frontal lobe differences, children with ADHD have a more responsive nervous system to the outside world. Similar to those who have experienced RSD, it can cause stress responses that appear more extreme than an outside observer would justify. Rather, ADHD can often mimic brain trauma.

How to help your child feel better about themselves

If your child is struggling with rejection and you think it may be RSD, there are a few ways you can help manage these uncomfortable feelings, starting with talking to your child.“Knowing the challenges that the condition can bring can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness.” Demystifying the diagnosis helps your child build community.

Overall, you want try to focus on your child plus attributes“Provide positive feedback to your child on a regular basis while avoiding unnecessarily harsh criticism,” says Dr. Watt. You may need to tell yourself to point it out. For example, when a child is frustrated, please do not What they did would have been the “normal” way to react, even if it happened to you. big win.

Give your child plenty of opportunities to succeed. “Develop confidence in all areas of strengths so that there is a buffer for the more frequent feedback children with ADHD may get about their behavior. Helping build a growth mindset Mistakes are normalized as part of learning to improve problem-solving skills,” says Dr. King. Practice saying “yet” at the end of a sentence. “I don’t know how to do this… yet.” This makes “failure” feel like “yet” instead of failure.

Share strategies with teachers

Regarding problem solving both at school and at home, Dr. King suggests: Instead of seeing your child as a problem, remember that it is you and your child who are against the problem. ” The best teacher is the one who says your child has had a hard time, not the one who says your child has had a hard time.

Be sure to talk to all teachers, coaches, and other caregivers. about what works for your child. “Strategies that help parents, such as solving problems as a team, should be shared with others so they can be part of their toolkit when teaching and mentoring their children.” says Dr. King.

inevitably something goes wrong, they are rejected“And teaching children coping skills to manage emotions associated with rejection and criticism is especially helpful for growth and development,” says Dr. Watt. It may be a target. mindfulnessbreathing method, etc. “Reset” technique It might work.

no child can be perfect rejection preventionbut your child Can learn resilience skills Setting themselves up for a lifetime of rejection, acceptance, highs and lows that awaits them as they grow up.