Episode 336: What is RSD Alongside ADHD?
Have you always been more sensitive than most people you know to rejection, criticism or the feeling that you've fallen short? If that question just landed somewhere deep, this episode is for you.
Today I'm sharing a clip from one of my most popular workshops, "What Is RSD?," as a way of bringing this topic back into focus, because rejection sensitive dysphoria is one of those things that so many of us have felt our entire lives without ever having the language for it.
In this clip, I talk about what Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria actually is, how Dr William Dodson first articulated it, how it shows up physically and emotionally, and why understanding it as a neurological trait rather than a personality flaw changes everything. I also share some practical ways to begin working with RSD rather than against it, including how EFT tapping can help calm the nervous system response in the moment and over time.
The full RSD workshop is available on my website with 10% off here
In this episode, we cover:
What rejection sensitive dysphoria is and how it was first identified and named
Why RSD shows up as part of the emotional dysregulation profile of ADHD
What RSD can feel like physically, not just emotionally, and why that matters
How RSD shows up across childhood, relationships, work, parenting and social life
Why RSD episodes can feel all-consuming and then end surprisingly quickly
How past social trauma can resurface and amplify RSD triggers later in life
Why keeping your guard up to avoid RSD can become its own form of exhaustion
The self-regulation tools that can help including EFT, DBT, somatic work and breathwork
How lifestyle foundations like sleep, movement and nutrition build resilience against RSD
Why EFT tapping helps calm the amygdala and reduce cortisol in the moment
A simple introduction to tapping and how to use it before, during or after an RSD episode
lookingAre you Looking for further support on ADHD Women's Wellbeing? Check out my workshop library here or search for any topic on the Podcast here.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Welcome and introduction to today's More Yourself episode
01:30 - Why RSD is such an important part of understanding ADHD
04:00 - The workshop clip begins: Dr William Dodson's defining question
05:30 - What RSD is and how it shows up emotionally and physically
08:00 - The clear trigger, the mood shift and why episodes can end as suddenly as they start
10:00 - How past social trauma can keep RSD patterns alive
12:00 - How RSD impacts self-esteem, relationships, parenting and career
14:00 - What we can do: self-regulation tools, EFT, DBT and somatic approaches
16:00 - Why brain and gut health matter for RSD resilience
18:00 - Self-talk, journaling and the self-compassion that only you can give yourself
20:00 - EFT tapping explained: the meridian points, cortisol reduction and the amygdala
22:00 - How tapping creates perspective and shifts the threat response
24:00 - Using tapping before a difficult situation to stay regulated
Links and Resources:
Find my popular ADHD Women's Wellbeing workshops and resources on my website here.
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @adhd_womenswellbeing_pod
Get my book, The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Toolkit (also available in ebook and audiobook) here
Join the More Yourself membership community here
Get the full What Is RSD? workshop with 10% off here
Kate Moryoussef is a women's ADHD lifestyle and wellbeing coach and EFT practitioner who helps overwhelmed and unfulfilled newly diagnosed women with ADHD find more calm, balance, hope, health, compassion, creativity, and clarity.