ADHD for Smart Ass Women with Tracy Otsuka EP. 128: ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria with Keynote Speaker, Jessica Fern
Jun 16, 2021
Jessica Fern, a Senior Director of Training & Development and keynote speaker, opens up about her dual ADHD diagnoses and how they shaped her career. She dives deep into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, connecting core beliefs of unworthiness to emotional responses. Jessica shares practical strategies for managing these feelings, like working backwards on emotions and clear communication. She also reveals how her ADHD traits, such as hyperfocus and impulsivity, have fueled her success as a speaker and leader, emphasizing self-awareness and nutrition as key to thriving.
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Two Adult Diagnoses And Early Choices
- Jessica was diagnosed with ADHD twice as an adult, ignored the first diagnosis, and later got pregnant so didn't medicate then.
- She later climbed corporate ranks while managing ADHD without full support until COVID exposed limits and prompted reevaluation.
Medication Isn’t The Whole Solution
- Medication helped Jessica but didn't solve emotional patterns; she needed counseling to address deeper issues.
- She realized ADHD is part of her script, not a personal failing, which shifted her acceptance and work approach.
Name The Core Belief Behind RSD
- Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) stemmed from a core belief of not being good enough and drove avoidance and shutdowns.
- Naming the feeling and tracing its origins let Jessica separate fact from feeling and reduce impulsive defensive actions.