Rejection Sensitivity and ADHD in Adults: Strategies to Break the Cycle

Join Dr. Sharon Saline in this comprehensive class on managing Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) in ADHD adults. Explore the intense fear of criticism and social judgment that creates core beliefs of deficiency. Learn Dr. Saline's practical strategies including daily reflection, reframing negative thoughts, building meaningful connections, and developing self-compassion to break the cycle of rejection sensitivity and build lasting resilience.

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Meet your instructor

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Meet your instructor ✳

DR. SHARON SALINE

Dr. Sharon Saline is a clinical psychologist, speaker, and author specializing in ADHD, learning differences, and mental health in children, teens, and adults. Combining over 30 years of clinical experience with her acclaimed “5C’s of ADHD™” approach—self-Control, Compassion, Collaboration, Consistency, and Celebration—she offers practical strategies that foster confidence, resilience, and meaningful connections in everyday life.

What you’ll learn

  • Discover why ADHD adults experience intense fear of criticism and social judgment. Learn how repeated negative feedback creates core beliefs of deficiency and inadequacy. Understand the difference between Highly Sensitive Person traits and RSD's emotional dysregulation. Recognize how anticipatory anxiety leads to social avoidance despite craving connection, and why this pattern perpetuates feelings of isolation and shame.

  • Explore how perfectionism develops as a protective mechanism against criticism in neurodivergent individuals. Learn to identify all-or-nothing thinking patterns, catastrophizing, and the exhausting cycle of overcompensation. Understand imposter syndrome's connection to RSD and discover practical strategies to challenge negative self-talk, embrace "good enough," and recognize your authentic accomplishments without constant external validation.

  • Learn evidence-based tools to manage RSD triggers, including cognitive reframing, self-compassion practices, and boundary-setting techniques. Discover how to communicate your needs effectively, navigate social situations with less anxiety, and build genuine relationships. Develop resilience through mindfulness, celebrate your neurodivergent strengths, and create a supportive environment that honors your unique brain wiring and processing style.

Course FAQ

  • You'll gain a deep understanding of how Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) affects your ADHD brain and learn practical strategies to manage intense emotional reactions to criticism and perceived rejection. You'll discover tools to break free from perfectionism, challenge imposter syndrome, and reduce anticipatory anxiety in social situations. Most importantly, you'll develop self-compassion practices, cognitive reframing techniques, and boundary-setting skills that help you build authentic confidence and meaningful connections. By the end of this course, you'll have a personalized toolkit to navigate relationships, workplace challenges, and daily interactions with greater ease, self-acceptance, and resilience while honoring your neurodivergent strengths.

  • Deeper Self-Understanding
    Understand why you experience intense emotional reactions to criticism or perceived rejection. Learn how ADHD and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) intersect, and recognize patterns that have shaped your social interactions and self-perception.

    Practical Daily Strategies
    Master evidence-based techniques you can implement immediately, including daily reflection journaling, the Q-Tip method ("Quit Taking It Personally"), and reframing exercises that shift your focus from deficits to strengths.

    Emotional Regulation Skills
    Develop tools to manage anticipatory anxiety, reduce catastrophic thinking, and respond to perceived rejection with curiosity rather than defensiveness. Learn to pause, investigate, and choose your response instead of reacting impulsively.

    Self-Compassion and Confidence
    Replace harsh self-criticism with the kindness you'd show a child. Build resilience by tracking accomplishments, celebrating small wins, and viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than evidence of inadequacy.

    Stronger Relationships
    Learn how to build meaningful, authentic connections one person at a time. Understand how to communicate your needs, set boundaries, and create a support network of friends, therapists, and coaches who help you maintain perspective.

    Freedom from the RSD Cycle
    Break free from the exhausting pattern of seeking validation, fearing disappointment, and avoiding social situations. Gain the confidence to show up authentically without constant worry about judgment or rejection.

    Actionable Framework
    Walk away with Dr. Sharon Saline's proven strategies that you can apply at home, work, and in social settings—creating lasting change in how you experience and respond to the world around you.

  • Once enrolled, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to all video lessons, downloadable resources, and reflection exercises. This allows you to revisit content anytime and continue building your parenting skills at your own pace.