The RSD Expert: This New Trick Will Stop RSD In 10 Seconds

Sam Bramwell is an RSD expert and the founder of The ADHD Leader. Sam’s mission is simple: to help ADHD adults to flourish. Sam is also an author of the best selling book, Enough is Enough, a groundbreaking manifesto for modern women navigating the impossible standards of career, leadership, motherhood, and societal expectations. RSD hurts like hell. If you don’t tell someone with ADHD that you explicitly like them, they will assume that you tolerate them. If you don’t explicitly invite an ADHD person to a social event, they will assume you don’t actually want them there, if you say, ‘come if you want’, they will think that their presence at that social event is a nuisance to you, and they probably think that you hate them as well. If you ask an ADHD person for a quick chat, they will assume you want a quick chat so you can fire them or break up with them. People with ADHD experience something called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, it causes intense pain and is triggered by real or perceived rejection, and it happens because ADHD people were criticised 20,000 more times than your average child. “Why are you being weird, it’s not that loud in here” “You’re embarrassing yourself” “Why are you being lazy?” “Stop biting your nails!” “Why are you crying?! “You’ve let me down!” “You’re really rude” “Stop being weird!” “Stop fidgeting” “Calm down” “Be normal!” “Stop it!” And it means that as as adult, they read positive comments as neutral, in fact they don’t believe positivity, it bounces off them, they read neural comments like ‘come to the party if you like’, as negative and when they experience actual negative comments, well, let’s just say you don’t want to be around for that. Instant rage, sadness and crippling shame. It’s brutal. 00:00 Trailer 02:14 What is your mission within the ADHD space 03:45 The ADHD nervous system explained 09:14 RSD at work 13:06 How to sooth the ADHD nervous system 17:50 Subtle ways you’re people pleasing without knowing it 23:54 Tiimo advert 25:47 How to escape emotional exhaustion 27:08 How to regulate your emotions 29:23 ADHD in women 33:17 Tips for ADHD women in the workplace 35:04 Why ADHD women feel ‘not enough’ 39:31 How to set boundaries 43:52 The ADHD agony aunt 46:17 The ADHD Item Find Sam on Linkedin 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-bramwell-3287642/ Find Sam on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/samjbramwell/?hl=en Buy Sam’s book 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-shattering-myth-that-women/dp/1068404507 Get 30% off an annual Tiimo subscription 👉 https://www.tiimoapp.com/adhdchatter Buy Alex's book entitled 'Now It All Makes Sense' 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-All-Makes-Sense-Diagnosis/dp/1399817817 Producer: Timon Woodward Recorded by: Hamlin Studios Trailer Editor: Ryan Faber DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

Sam BramwellguestAlex Partridgehost

Jun 9, 202548mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: June 9, 2025
Duration: 48m
Channel: ADHD Chatter Podcast
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Sam Bramwell is an RSD expert and the founder of The ADHD Leader. Sam’s mission is simple: to help ADHD adults to flourish. Sam is also an author of the best selling book, Enough is Enough, a groundbreaking manifesto for modern women navigating the impossible standards of career, leadership, motherhood, and societal expectations. RSD hurts like hell. If you don’t tell someone with ADHD that you explicitly like them, they will assume that you tolerate them. If you don’t explicitly invite an ADHD person to a social event, they will assume you don’t actually want them there, if you say, ‘come if you want’, they will think that their presence at that social event is a nuisance to you, and they probably think that you hate them as well. If you ask an ADHD person for a quick chat, they will assume you want a quick chat so you can fire them or break up with them. People with ADHD experience something called Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, it causes intense pain and is triggered by real or perceived rejection, and it happens because ADHD people were criticised 20,000 more times than your average child. “Why are you being weird, it’s not that loud in here” “You’re embarrassing yourself” “Why are you being lazy?” “Stop biting your nails!” “Why are you crying?! “You’ve let me down!” “You’re really rude” “Stop being weird!” “Stop fidgeting” “Calm down” “Be normal!” “Stop it!” And it means that as as adult, they read positive comments as neutral, in fact they don’t believe positivity, it bounces off them, they read neural comments like ‘come to the party if you like’, as negative and when they experience actual negative comments, well, let’s just say you don’t want to be around for that. Instant rage, sadness and crippling shame. It’s brutal. 00:00 Trailer 02:14 What is your mission within the ADHD space 03:45 The ADHD nervous system explained 09:14 RSD at work 13:06 How to sooth the ADHD nervous system 17:50 Subtle ways you’re people pleasing without knowing it 23:54 Tiimo advert 25:47 How to escape emotional exhaustion 27:08 How to regulate your emotions 29:23 ADHD in women 33:17 Tips for ADHD women in the workplace 35:04 Why ADHD women feel ‘not enough’ 39:31 How to set boundaries 43:52 The ADHD agony aunt 46:17 The ADHD Item Find Sam on Linkedin 👉https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-bramwell-3287642/ Find Sam on Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/samjbramwell/?hl=en Buy Sam’s book 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enough-shattering-myth-that-women/dp/1068404507 Get 30% off an annual Tiimo subscription 👉 https://www.tiimoapp.com/adhdchatter Buy Alex's book entitled 'Now It All Makes Sense' 👉 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-All-Makes-Sense-Diagnosis/dp/1399817817 Producer: Timon Woodward Recorded by: Hamlin Studios Trailer Editor: Ryan Faber DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.

SPEAKERS

Sam Bramwell
guest
ADHD coach and RSD expert with a tech leadership background (including time at Microsoft), focused on nervous-system regulation and workplace ADHD strategies.
Alex Partridge
host
Host of the ADHD Chatter Podcast who interviews ADHD experts and discusses ADHD-related topics with listeners and viewers.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of ADHD Chatter Podcast, featuring Sam Bramwell and Alex Partridge, The RSD Expert: This New Trick Will Stop RSD In 10 Seconds explores polyvagal tools and boundaries for ADHD women facing RSD pain ADHD-related rejection sensitivity is framed as a nervous-system survival response that can misread social cues, predict worst-case outcomes, and damage health and relationships over time.

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