Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Questionnaire

Rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an intense emotional response caused by the perception that you have disappointed others in your life and that they have withdrawn their love, approval, or respect because of that disappointment. The same painful reaction can occur when you fail or fall short of your relatively high goals and expectations. RSD commonly occurs with ADHD and causes extreme emotional pain that plagues children and adults — even when no rejection occurs.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria is difficult for people with ADHD to describe, but all who have it agree that it feels awful. Indeed, the term dysphoria is Greek for “unbearable.” Often, those with RSD hide these intense emotional reactions from other people and feel ashamed of their vulnerability. The condition often triggers a profound and wide-reaching sense of failure, as though the person with RSD hasn’t measured up to personal or external expectations.

Could RSD be the cause of your intense emotional responses? Take the results of this self-test to a trained ADHD professional to discuss your options for managing symptoms.

SCORING
Very Often 4
Often 3
Sometimes 2
Rarely 1
Never 0

Note: Please keep track of your score and remember to note your total value before submitting the form, all scores will be emailed to me to review but if you'd like to remember it for yourself ensure you take note of it prior to pressing Submit.

Name *

First

Last

Email *

Date / Time

Date

Time

1. Do you experience sudden, intense bouts of rage when your feelings are hurt? *

2. Do you experience sudden, intense bouts of extreme sadness when you think you have been rejected or criticized? *

3. Are you your own harshest critic? *

4. Do you feel anxious in social situations because you assume that no one likes you? *

5. Do you consider yourself a “people pleaser,” going above and beyond to get on someone’s good side? *

6. Do you pass up opportunities or avoid starting projects because you’re afraid you’ll fail? *

7. Have you been called “overly sensitive” or a “head case” because of your strong emotional reactions? *

8. Do you dedicate more time than is necessary to a project or become perfectionistic to make sure your work has no mistakes (and is above reproach)? *

9. Do you ever experience your emotions as a physical sensation, as though you’ve been punched in the chest or physically “wounded?” *

10. Do you feel shame about the “lack of control” you have over your emotions? *

11. Before you were diagnosed with ADHD, were you told you might a mood disorder? A borderline character disorder? *

12. Do you shy away from close friendships or romantic relationships, because you worry that if people “know the real you,” they won’t like you? *

13. Do you assume the worst in commonplace interactions — worrying you will be fired every time your boss calls you in to her office, for instance? *

14. Do you think that you cannot go on feeling this way? *

15. Do you avoid meeting new people or trying new things because your fear of rejection and criticism is so strong? *