When You Stop Explaining Yourself, Everything CHANGES | Dr. Becky and Dr. Sasha Hamdani

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

November 3, 2026

Duration

49m

Channel

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Sasha Hamdani walked off a TEDx stage, found her husband in the lobby, and by the time he said "I guess I was just nervous for you," she'd already decided her medical career was over. That spiral has a name: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD. It's a real, neurobiological response to rejection or criticism, and it shows up constantly in people with ADHD, in highly sensitive and deeply feeling kids, and in the adults those kids grow into. Dr. Becky sits down with Dr. Hamdani, a psychiatrist and author of Too Sensitive, to dig into what's happening in the brain. An overactive amygdala and an under-responsive prefrontal cortex can make a kid look "dramatic" when their body is telling the truth. They talk through what RSD looks like at different ages, from a young child who falls apart at a sharp tone to a 14-year-old (fourteen) who's suddenly done with family movie night. They also cover how rejection sensitivity turns into people pleasing and perfectionism (especially in girls), why a text like "Okay, that's fine." can send an adult spiraling, and what to do when your own kid rejects you. Chapters 0:00 – Intro: when rejection hits harder 1:19 – The TEDx lobby spiral 6:09 – What is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)? 7:16 – ADHD as a regulation disorder 9:06 – The amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and big feelings 10:31 – "Dramatic" or deeply feeling? 12:24 – Why sensitivity is a strength 14:09 – What RSD looks like in kids 16:10 – Avoid the trigger, or help them through it? 20:03 – RSD in adults: people pleasing and perfectionism 22:43 – "Okay, that's fine.": the carpool text 29:00 – When you and your kid both have it 37:24 – People pleasing, strong-willed kids, and girls 40:21 – When your kid rejects you 45:11 – Emotional vaccination Learn more about Good Inside's Deeply Feeling Kids 101 Workshop: https://www.goodinside.com/deeply-feeling-kids-program?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=acq_dfkworkshop&utm_content=yt_description_20261103 Thank you to our partners for making this episode possible: Tonies: Use the code DRBECKY20 for 20% off your purchase of $80+ at tonies.fun/dr-becky Skylight: Get $30 off a 15-inch Skylight Calendar at myskylight.com/becky Frida.com: Shop Frida at Amazon, Target, and Walmart today #goodinside #drbecky #rejectionsensitivedysphoria #RSD #adhd #adhdinkids #highlysensitivechild #deeplyfeelingkids #peoplepleasing #parenting

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Dr. Becky Kennedy

  host

  Clinical psychologist and parenting expert; host of the Good Inside podcast.

• Dr. Sasha Hamdani

  guest

  Psychiatrist and author specializing in ADHD and rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD).

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Good Inside with Dr. Becky, featuring Dr. Becky Kennedy and Dr. Sasha Hamdani, When You Stop Explaining Yourself, Everything CHANGES | Dr. Becky and Dr. Sasha Hamdani explores Understanding rejection sensitivity and building resilience for deeply feeling kids The conversation defines rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD) as an intense emotional (and sometimes physical) response to real or perceived rejection or criticism driven by nervous-system alarm reactions.

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