ADHD & RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)

This survey is meant to gauge the frequency and severity with which people with ADHD experience rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD). This distinct manifestation of emotional dysregulation generally involves extreme emotional sensitivity and pain triggered by real or even perceived rejection or criticism. For the duration of the survey, please report on your personal experiences as an adult with RSD.

Please note that no personal or individual data from this survey will ever be reported. ADDitude never shares any information about its subscribers, e-newsletter recipients, or survey respondents. (Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.)

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* 1. Which of the following describe you? (Select all that apply.)

Caregiver of a child, teen, or young adult with ADHD

Adult with ADHD

Partner, relative, or friend of an adult with ADHD

Professional treating individuals with ADHD

Educator of students with ADHD

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* 2. For the rest of this survey, please focus your responses on yourself, as an adult with ADHD. What is your age?

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* 3. What is your gender identity?

Female

Male

Non-binary

Gender fluid

My gender identity is not listed

Prefer not to answer

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* 4. Which of the following best describes your race? (Select all that apply.)

Black or African American

Latinx

Alaska Native or Native American

Asian or Pacific Islander

White

Other

Prefer not to answer

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* 5. Which of the following best describes your presentation of ADHD?

Inattentive type

Hyperactive/impulsive type

Combined type (inattentive plus hyperactive/impulsive)

I don’t know / Unsure

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* 6. Have you been diagnosed with any condition(s) in addition to ADHD? (Select all that apply.)

Depression

Bipolar Disorder

Anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, panic, etc.)

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Eating Disorders

Language Processing Disorder

Learning Disorders (dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Conduct Disorder (CD)

Borderline or another personality disorder

Sensory Processing Disorder

Sleep Disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea, etc.)

Tourette’s Syndrome or tic disorder

Prefer not to answer

Other (please specify)

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* 7. How impairing is RSD compared to other aspects of ADHD emotional dysregulation for you? Rate the severity of each of the following on a scale of 0 (I do not experience this) to 5 (debilitating):

	0 - I do not experience this	1	2	3	4	5 - Debilitating
Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 0 - I do not experience this	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 1	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 2	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 3	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 4	Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) 5 - Debilitating
Anger and/or rage	Anger and/or rage 0 - I do not experience this	Anger and/or rage 1	Anger and/or rage 2	Anger and/or rage 3	Anger and/or rage 4	Anger and/or rage 5 - Debilitating
Aggression	Aggression 0 - I do not experience this	Aggression 1	Aggression 2	Aggression 3	Aggression 4	Aggression 5 - Debilitating
Low frustration tolerance	Low frustration tolerance 0 - I do not experience this	Low frustration tolerance 1	Low frustration tolerance 2	Low frustration tolerance 3	Low frustration tolerance 4	Low frustration tolerance 5 - Debilitating
Self-isolation	Self-isolation 0 - I do not experience this	Self-isolation 1	Self-isolation 2	Self-isolation 3	Self-isolation 4	Self-isolation 5 - Debilitating
Depression and/or sadness	Depression and/or sadness 0 - I do not experience this	Depression and/or sadness 1	Depression and/or sadness 2	Depression and/or sadness 3	Depression and/or sadness 4	Depression and/or sadness 5 - Debilitating
Anxiety and/or worry	Anxiety and/or worry 0 - I do not experience this	Anxiety and/or worry 1	Anxiety and/or worry 2	Anxiety and/or worry 3	Anxiety and/or worry 4	Anxiety and/or worry 5 - Debilitating
Social anxiety	Social anxiety 0 - I do not experience this	Social anxiety 1	Social anxiety 2	Social anxiety 3	Social anxiety 4	Social anxiety 5 - Debilitating
Black-and-white thinking	Black-and-white thinking 0 - I do not experience this	Black-and-white thinking 1	Black-and-white thinking 2	Black-and-white thinking 3	Black-and-white thinking 4	Black-and-white thinking 5 - Debilitating
Difficulty self-soothing	Difficulty self-soothing 0 - I do not experience this	Difficulty self-soothing 1	Difficulty self-soothing 2	Difficulty self-soothing 3	Difficulty self-soothing 4	Difficulty self-soothing 5 - Debilitating
Interpersonal conflict	Interpersonal conflict 0 - I do not experience this	Interpersonal conflict 1	Interpersonal conflict 2	Interpersonal conflict 3	Interpersonal conflict 4	Interpersonal conflict 5 - Debilitating
Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 0 - I do not experience this	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 1	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 2	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 3	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 4	Psychological paralysis and/or overwhelm 5 - Debilitating

Other (please specify)

For the remainder of this survey, please focus on your experiences with RSD.

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* 8. How quickly does your reaction to an RSD trigger tend to escalate?

Immediately

Less than a minute

1–5 minutes

6–15 minutes

More than 15 minutes

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* 9. How long does your emotional response triggered by a discrete episode of RSD tend to last?

Seconds

Minutes

Hours

Days

Weeks

Months

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* 10. If you experience RSD, have you noticed any of the following patterns of thoughts and feelings associated with RSD? (select all that apply)

Rumination and perseveration

Internalized anxiety

Thoughts of self-harm

Racing heart

Perfectionism

Social anxiety

Feelings of physical pain

Chronically poor self-image

Shame

(Optional) Please share more

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* 11. If you experience RSD, have you noticed any of the following patterns of behavior associated with RSD? (select all that apply)

Self-harm

Substance use

Disordered eating

Lashing out/rage

Shutting down

Crying

Apathy

Avoidance of settings where you might be criticized or fail

Propensity for toxic relationships

People-pleasing behaviors

Self-sabotage

Defensiveness

BFRBs (nail biting, skin picking, hair pulling, etc.)

(Optional) Please share more

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* 12. In your own words, tell us what consistently triggers your RSD and what it feels like to experience RSD:

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* 13. What do others do that helps, or makes things worse, when you're experiencing RSD?

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* 14. Please rate the severity of RSD’s impact on your life in each of the following arenas using a scale of 0 (no impact) to 5 (debilitating):

	0 - No impact	1	2	3	4	5 - Debilitating
Career	Career 0 - No impact	Career 1	Career 2	Career 3	Career 4	Career 5 - Debilitating
Friendships	Friendships 0 - No impact	Friendships 1	Friendships 2	Friendships 3	Friendships 4	Friendships 5 - Debilitating
Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other)	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 0 - No impact	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 1	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 2	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 3	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 4	Romantic relationships (i.e., with your spouse or significant other) 5 - Debilitating
Parenting	Parenting 0 - No impact	Parenting 1	Parenting 2	Parenting 3	Parenting 4	Parenting 5 - Debilitating
Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings)	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 0 - No impact	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 1	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 2	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 3	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 4	Other family relationships (i.e., with your parents or siblings) 5 - Debilitating
Personal safety	Personal safety 0 - No impact	Personal safety 1	Personal safety 2	Personal safety 3	Personal safety 4	Personal safety 5 - Debilitating
Physical health	Physical health 0 - No impact	Physical health 1	Physical health 2	Physical health 3	Physical health 4	Physical health 5 - Debilitating
Mental health	Mental health 0 - No impact	Mental health 1	Mental health 2	Mental health 3	Mental health 4	Mental health 5 - Debilitating
Emotional health	Emotional health 0 - No impact	Emotional health 1	Emotional health 2	Emotional health 3	Emotional health 4	Emotional health 5 - Debilitating

(Optional) Please share more:

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* 15. In your own words, tell us about the consequences you have faced in your life — for example, at work or in relationships — because of RSD.

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* 16. To what degree do you feel that racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, or other systemic bias has contributed to your experience with and feelings of RSD? Please rate the impact on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 10 (very significantly).

0 - Not at all

10 - Very significantly

0 - Not at all

10 - Very significantly

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* 17. Please share more about how systemic bias has contributed to your RSD, if at all:

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* 18. Have you found any treatment strategies to benefit your feelings of RSD? (Select all that apply.)

CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy)

DBT (dialectical behavior therapy)

ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy)

Somatic therapy

Talk therapy

Regular exercise

Balanced nutrition

Stimulant medication for ADHD

Non-stimulant medication for ADHD

Alpha-2 agonist medication

SSRI medication

SNRI medication

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy)

Mindfulness/Meditation

Other (please specify)

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* 19. At what age do you recall experiencing RSD for the first time?

Early childhood

Elementary school

Middle school

High school

College

Young adulthood

Middle age

Older adulthood

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* 20. Please describe an early memory of a significant experience with RSD. What triggered the situation, how did you feel, and what stuck with you about it?

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* 21. Do you feel that hormonal shifts have impacted the severity or frequency of your experiences with RSD? If so, please rate the impact of each of the following on a scale of 0 (no impact) to 5 (debilitating):

	0 - No impact	1	2	3	4	5 - Debilitating
Puberty	Puberty 0 - No impact	Puberty 1	Puberty 2	Puberty 3	Puberty 4	Puberty 5 - Debilitating
Your menstrual cycle	Your menstrual cycle 0 - No impact	Your menstrual cycle 1	Your menstrual cycle 2	Your menstrual cycle 3	Your menstrual cycle 4	Your menstrual cycle 5 - Debilitating
Peak testosterone (ages 20-25)	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 0 - No impact	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 1	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 2	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 3	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 4	Peak testosterone (ages 20-25) 5 - Debilitating
Pregnancy	Pregnancy 0 - No impact	Pregnancy 1	Pregnancy 2	Pregnancy 3	Pregnancy 4	Pregnancy 5 - Debilitating
Post-partum	Post-partum 0 - No impact	Post-partum 1	Post-partum 2	Post-partum 3	Post-partum 4	Post-partum 5 - Debilitating
Perimenopause	Perimenopause 0 - No impact	Perimenopause 1	Perimenopause 2	Perimenopause 3	Perimenopause 4	Perimenopause 5 - Debilitating
Menopause	Menopause 0 - No impact	Menopause 1	Menopause 2	Menopause 3	Menopause 4	Menopause 5 - Debilitating
Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause)	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 0 - No impact	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 1	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 2	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 3	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 4	Dwindling testosterone (i.e., andropause) 5 - Debilitating

(Optional) please share more

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* 22. Please identify yourself so that we can attribute your comment(s) correctly if printed in a future issue of ADDitude. You may provide your first name, city, and state; first name and state only; or leave the fields blank if you prefer to remain anonymous. We will only use first names and state in content.

First Name

City/Town

State/Province

Country

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* 23. Would you like to share more of your story about ADHD and RSD? If so, please complete the following fields so that the ADDitude editorial team may contact you.

NOTE: We will NOT publish your contact information or make it public in any way. (See ADDitude's full privacy policy.)

First Name

Last Name

City/Town

State/Province

Country

Email Address

By submitting a response, you give ADDitude the right to modify, publish, and reproduce your submission in the magazine, on its website, in e-newsletters, or in any ADDitude syndication, anthology, or electronic database. There is no payment. You certify that these are your own words and that you have not violated any copyright laws. If you'd prefer to respond anonymously, please leave the name and location fields above blank. If you provide any information, we'll assume that it's OK to include that when quoting you.

Thank you for taking ADDitude's "ADHD & RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)" Survey! Your answers will help us as we work on content about this topic. Please watch for coverage in a coming issue.

Visit us online at additudemag.com and feel free to contact us at any time with questions or comments at letters@additudemag.com.

Question Title

* 1. Which of the following describe you? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 2. For the rest of this survey, please focus your responses on yourself, as an adult with ADHD. What is your age?

Question Title

* 3. What is your gender identity?

Question Title

* 4. Which of the following best describes your race? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 5. Which of the following best describes your presentation of ADHD?

Question Title

* 6. Have you been diagnosed with any condition(s) in addition to ADHD? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 7. How impairing is RSD compared to other aspects of ADHD emotional dysregulation for you? Rate the severity of each of the following on a scale of 0 (I do not experience this) to 5 (debilitating):

Question Title

* 8. How quickly does your reaction to an RSD trigger tend to escalate?

Question Title

* 9. How long does your emotional response triggered by a discrete episode of RSD tend to last?

Question Title

* 10. If you experience RSD, have you noticed any of the following patterns of thoughts and feelings associated with RSD? (select all that apply)

Question Title

* 11. If you experience RSD, have you noticed any of the following patterns of behavior associated with RSD? (select all that apply)

Question Title

* 12. In your own words, tell us what consistently triggers your RSD and what it feels like to experience RSD:

Question Title

* 13. What do others do that helps, or makes things worse, when you're experiencing RSD?

Question Title

* 14. Please rate the severity of RSD’s impact on your life in each of the following arenas using a scale of 0 (no impact) to 5 (debilitating):

Question Title

* 15. In your own words, tell us about the consequences you have faced in your life — for example, at work or in relationships — because of RSD.

Question Title

* 16. To what degree do you feel that racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, or other systemic bias has contributed to your experience with and feelings of RSD? Please rate the impact on a scale of 0 (not at all) to 10 (very significantly).

Question Title

* 17. Please share more about how systemic bias has contributed to your RSD, if at all:

Question Title

* 18. Have you found any treatment strategies to benefit your feelings of RSD? (Select all that apply.)

Question Title

* 19. At what age do you recall experiencing RSD for the first time?

Question Title

* 20. Please describe an early memory of a significant experience with RSD. What triggered the situation, how did you feel, and what stuck with you about it?

Question Title

* 21. Do you feel that hormonal shifts have impacted the severity or frequency of your experiences with RSD? If so, please rate the impact of each of the following on a scale of 0 (no impact) to 5 (debilitating):

Question Title

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* 23. Would you like to share more of your story about ADHD and RSD? If so, please complete the following fields so that the ADDitude editorial team may contact you.NOTE: We will NOT publish your contact information or make it public in any way. (See ADDitude's full privacy policy.)

* 23. Would you like to share more of your story about ADHD and RSD? If so, please complete the following fields so that the ADDitude editorial team may contact you.

NOTE: We will NOT publish your contact information or make it public in any way. (See ADDitude's full privacy policy.)