What causes rejection sensitivity?

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but rejection will crush me forever. In this episode, we are looking at rejection sensitivity, or RSD, through a neuroscience lens focusing on this paper to explain what may be happening in your brain when you experience this overwhelming and painful phenomenon associated with ADHD and autism. We'll walk you through the treatments that work and some surprising treatments that don't work. You're going to learn something new in this episode, guaranteed. 00:00 Introduction and Overview of ADHD Symptoms 01:57 Exploring Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) 08:57 Science Behind RSD and Emotional Dysregulation 10:09 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Its Limitations 17:00 Understanding the Prefrontal Cortex 23:54 Personal Experiences with RSD 35:32 Neuroscience Insights and Expert Opinions 38:33 Understanding Emotional Shutdowns 39:47 The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex 42:11 Coping Mechanisms for RSD 43:43 Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT) 50:35 Medication Options for RSD 53:56 The Impact of Alpha-2 Receptor Agonists 57:31 Personal Experiences and Advice 01:06:53 The Importance of RSD Buddies 01:08:05 Final Thoughts on Managing RSD Episode References: Russell Barkley on RSD William Dodson on RSD Research about how guanfacine manages rejection sensitivity in the brain A look at the prefrontal cortex and dynamic network connectivity Read next: A brief explanation of CBT A deeper look at CBT brain research How is DBT different from CBT? How does the prefrontal cortex impact ADHD and why do meds help?