People who are neurodivergent have differences in the way their brain works. Our use of energy is different, our concept of time is different, and we absorb things in a different way. Misunderstandings are more common because of these factors. This leads to social struggles and difficulties in intimate relationships. Ultimately this can result in increased anxiety, depression, isolation and feelings of loneliness.

People with ADHD have problems with inhibition that lead to impulsive actions. These can be expressed as angry outbursts, in a flash, because of deficits in emotional regulation and distress tolerance. Therapy can give you skills to compensate for those deficits. These impulses can also lead to behaviors such as excessive drinking, violence and aggression, gambling, binge eating, reckless spending, urges to frequently check social media, committing to plans you later regret and so on. People with ADHD are three times more likely to experience addiction issues throughout their life, particularly so if the ADHD is left untreated. Therapy can help you learn to manage these impulses. 

People with ADHD often develop rejection sensitivity and become sensitive to what other people think or say about them. People will go from feeling perfectly fine to feeling intensely sad with rejection sensitivity disorder. Up to 99% of teens and adults with ADHD are more sensitive than usual to rejection. And nearly 1 in 3 say it's the hardest part of living with ADHD. (https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/rejection-sensitive-dysphoria) When you have ADHD, your nervous system overreacts to things from the outside world. Any sense of rejection can set off your stress response and cause an emotional reaction that's much more extreme than usual. Sometimes the criticism or rejection is imagined, but not always. ADHD researchers estimate that by age 12, children with ADHD get 20,000 more negative messages about themselves than other kids their age. All that criticism can damage their self-esteem. These kids are often surprised that they are getting in trouble because they are trying their hardest to follow the rules, pay attention, and not act out. Finally they figure that there is just something wrong with them because everyone else seems to ‘get it’ so easily. When you are trying your hardest to be good and an angry authority figure (who is frustrated because of your ADHD symptoms) keeps telling you that you are being bad it can easily lead you to believe that it must just be them.  That they are the problem… not their disorder. 

People with ADHD are often more creative and spontaneous. They have developed astounding problem-solving skills are incredibly resourceful and resilient. They are often ambitious because their brain gets excited at the thought of lofty goals and complicated tasks. Entrepreneurship and ADHD are connected in research ranging from JetBlue to Kinkos. They can make great leaders because they make fast decisions, react quickly when needed, and have endless energy and focus. 

People with RSD may 

• Be easily embarrassed

• Get very angry or have an emotional outburst when they feel like someone has hurt or rejected them

• Set high standards for themselves they often can't meet

• Have low self-esteem

• Feel anxious, especially in social settings

• Have problems with relationships

• Stay away from social situations and withdraw from other people

• Feel like a failure because they haven't lived up to other people's expectations

• Sometimes think about hurting themselves