ADHD Chatter Leading Psychotherapist: How To Live With Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)
Dec 23, 2025
In this engaging chat, Jessica Summers, a hypno-psychotherapist and expert on Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), shares her mission to raise awareness about this often-misunderstood condition. She vividly describes RSD as a painful experience, akin to 'thousands of paper cuts.' Jessica discusses how tiny triggers can provoke immense reactions, the gender differences in responses, and the impacts of RSD on relationships and perfectionism. She offers practical strategies for managing RSD, emphasizing self-compassion and the journey toward emotional resilience.
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Shame Feels Like A Public Replay
- RSD feels like a public replay of every shameful moment with everyone watching you.
- That explains why small social cues trigger overwhelming, visceral pain.
Personal RSD Moments That Shaped Her Work
- Jessica Summers shares personal RSD moments like nearly dropping out of university and crying after getting 92% in an exam.
- Her lived experience motivates her mission to help others understand and recover from RSD.
Ambiguity Triggers The Threat System
- Small ambiguous cues (a thumbs up, a full stop) trigger RSD because uncertainty threatens perceived social belonging.
- The nervous system treats this uncertainty like an emergency aimed at preventing ostracism.