Hot Topic: How to Recognize and Manage Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)

In this eye-opening episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott unpack the growing awareness of Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) in relation to ADHD and autism—and why naming it can be life-changing.

Drawing from their lived experiences, they explore the emotional rollercoaster of RSD, from spiralling thoughts after a delayed text message to sleepless nights replaying old conversations. With humour, honesty, and hard-won insight, Jordan and Simon highlight how mainstream recognition of RSD is slowly catching up to what the neurodivergent community has been saying for years.

Together, they discuss:

• What Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria really feels like for ADHDers and autistic people
• Why naming RSD creates distance, self-awareness, and practical coping strategies
• How therapy (and finding the right therapist) can help untangle emotional floods
• The importance of starting young—teaching kids resilience, boundaries, and emotional language
• Why harmful advice from mainstream parenting “experts” can traumatise neurodivergent children
• Tools that actually help: clarity in communication, gentle feedback, and community validation
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Whether you’re navigating RSD yourself, parenting neurodivergent kids, or trying to understand a loved one’s inner world, this conversation blends science, lived experience, and humour to bring comfort, clarity, and hope.

The article discussed in this episode

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