28: Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria: Why ADHDers Panic Over Criticism

If one piece of criticism sends your heart racing and has you ready to quit your job or never speak to a friend again, that's rejection sensitivity dysphoria. This episode shows you how to settle it so you can pause and respond. It comes from ADHD dysregulation, and with practice, your body can calm down in about three minutes. This one is for the ADHDer who takes feedback hard and wants to stop running from it.

I got a bad review of my podcast on Reddit while I was on a plane, and my first instinct was to rebuild the whole show. I walk through the steps I used to turn that around: noticing the dysregulation in my body and my thoughts, then calming my nervous system enough to decide which feedback was worth keeping. You'll hear why the ADHD brain leans negative, how ADHD and criticism can become useful information once you're regulated, and why nervous system regulation for ADHD is a skill that builds with practice, like lifting weights.

00:00 - Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria: Why Criticism Feels Like a Threat

03:19 - ADHD Dysregulation: Recognizing the Physical Signs

09:01 - ADHD Regulation: Physical Techniques to Interrupt the Panic

12:39 - ADHD and Criticism: Using Feedback for Growth

19:32 - How to Handle Criticism Better: Learning From Feedback

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