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I don’t believe compliments 🫣 #adhd

Alex Partridge on aDHD and RSD make compliments feel fake, despite success evidence.

Alex Partridgehost
Apr 6, 20260mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

ADHD and RSD make compliments feel fake, despite success evidence

  1. After learning his RSD book hit #1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list, Alex feels relief and exhaustion rather than pride.
  2. He describes his “positive reinforcement setting” as faulty, where finishing a project feels like survival instead of accomplishment.
  3. Compliments like “you must be so proud” don’t land for him; he assumes people are only being nice rather than sincere.
  4. Even objective proof of success doesn’t override his doubt, as he jokingly imagines the bestseller list itself is “just being nice.”

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Big wins can feel emotionally flat with ADHD/RSD.

Even a clear milestone (a #1 bestseller) can register as relief and fatigue rather than joy, suggesting the reward system may not deliver a “success feeling” reliably.

Completion may feel like survival, not celebration.

He frames finishing tasks as “Thank gosh I survived,” highlighting how effort and stress can dominate the emotional memory of an achievement.

Compliments can be mistrusted even when they’re accurate.

Praise is interpreted as politeness instead of truth, which can prevent positive feedback from building confidence over time.

Evidence doesn’t automatically defeat self-doubt.

Objective validation (a reputable bestseller list) still doesn’t feel fully believable, showing how feelings can override facts in self-assessment.

This pattern can quietly reduce motivation and satisfaction.

If accomplishments don’t produce a rewarding emotional payoff, it may become harder to feel energized by progress or to recognize personal growth.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

It's got to be the most annoying part of ADHD, and I'll demonstrate it by explaining what happened to me yesterday.

— Alex Partridge

So yesterday, I discovered that my RSD book was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. Number one.

— Alex Partridge

Like, there's no sense of accomplishment, only exhaustion and a relief that it's done.

— Alex Partridge

It's like my positive reinforcement setting is faulty.

— Alex Partridge

I don't believe anyone who tries to congratulate me. I just think they're being kind or nice, even when I have the evidence.

— Alex Partridge

ADHD and emotional processingRejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)Inability to internalize praiseImpostor-like doubt despite evidenceAchievement anticlimaxExhaustion vs pride after completion

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