Do I Have Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria?

Take this quiz to find out if you show the signs.

Does the idea of being rejected fill you with dread or panic? None of us likes being rejected, but some people may have an extremely hard time managing their distress.

If you suspect you might be one of those people, this quick quiz is for you. Just answer these 12 questions honestly, and you’ll get a better idea of whether you may want to talk to your doctor about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD).

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Questions Overview

1. You’re about to post a photo of yourself on social media. You feel:
  1. Terrified
  2. Pretty nervous
  3. Fine
  4. Excited
2. Your friend made a joke about you today, and it left you feeling pretty bummed. Do you bring it up with them?
  1. No way! I’m too scared. I’ll just try to pretend it never happened.
  2. Maybe…or maybe I’ll just hint that I’m upset.
  3. Probably. I’m tempted to let it go, but I know it’s better to talk about it.
  4. Definitely! It’ll be hard, but friends work through things.
3. Your friend just started a new job, and they’ve been way slower to text back than normal. What are you thinking?
  1. They hate me! I must have done something to make them mad.
  2. They’ve forgotten all about me!
  3. They’re busy with their new job and I just need to wait it out.
  4. They’re busy with their new job. I’ll let them know I’m here when they’re up for a chat, but that I know they have a lot going on.
4. True or false: I can be my true self around my friends.
  1. Definitely false. What if they don’t like the real me?
  2. Mostly false. I’d rather pretend to be someone I know they’d like.
  3. Mostly true. I doubt myself sometimes, but I know my friends love me for who I am.
  4. Definitely true. My friends love and accept me as I am, and I love and accept them!
5. Your crush has been flirting with you all week. Your friends think you should ask them out. What do you do?
  1. Absolutely nothing! I’d rather be alone forever than risk being turned down.
  2. Send flirty vibes their way and hope they ask me out first.
  3. Send them a vague text or DM saying we should hang out sometime.
  4. Go up to them in person and directly ask them out on a date. Why not go for it?
6. You just won an award—congrats! The awards ceremony is in two weeks. You can invite as many people as you want. You…
  1. …don’t invite anybody and hope they just show up anyway.
  2. …wait until the day of to invite some people.
  3. …invite people, but stress that it’s not a big deal if they come.
  4. …invite people, and tell your close friends and family that it would mean a lot if they came.
7. Your friend seems distant, but when you ask, they say everything is fine. What are you thinking?
  1. They’re lying. I must have done something.
  2. I’m going to keep a close eye on them. They may be upset with me about something.
  3. They don’t seem fine, but maybe they just don’t want to talk about it.
  4. They seem off, but I’ll take them at their word and just try to let them know I’m here if they want to chat.
8. True or false: I think people generally like me.
  1. Totally false
  2. Somewhat false
  3. Somewhat true
  4. Totally true
9. After a social interaction, do you tend to overthink everything you did and said and wonder if you messed up somehow?
  1. Yes, every single time. It’s exhausting.
  2. Most of the time, yes. I just want to be totally sure I didn’t do something wrong!
  3. Not unless someone I talk to acts coldly towards me, as if I’ve done something to offend them.
  4. Almost never. If I’ve done something wrong, I assume the other person would tell me.
10. When you struggle with school or work, how confident are you that a friend or coworker would be willing to help you?
  1. Not confident at all
  2. Not very confident
  3. Pretty confident
  4. Very confident
11. True or false? I tend to get offended by things that others don’t find offensive.
  1. Very true
  2. Mostly true
  3. Mostly false
  4. Definitely false
12. Someone you consider a friend is having a party, and you’re not invited. How do you feel?
  1. Devastated. Have I done something to offend them?
  2. Crushed. Maybe they don’t like me as much as I like them.
  3. It stings, but maybe they forgot. I’ll make other plans to distract myself.
  4. I’m surprised. But I don’t take it personally.

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What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)?

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is a condition that causes a person to feel extremely distressed at the idea of being rejected or of being a failure. RSD is linked to ADHD, and it’s thought that people with ADHD may be more likely to experience RSD because of differences in their brain structure that mean they can’t easily regulate emotions and behaviors connected to rejection and failure.

In other words, most people dislike rejection, but if you have RSD, anxiety surrounding rejection may feel more intense and your emotions may be much harder to control. A person with RSD may be prone to interpret harmless interactions as rejection and may find it difficult to manage their reaction to that perceived rejection.

If you suspect you have RSD, it may be worth speaking to a licensed therapist about what you’re experiencing. They may be able to offer you more guidance and tools to help you manage your rejection sensitivity.

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