When the world is not set up for people like us, the environment around us can become a source of invalidation. Unsupported, this can result in a lifetime of invalidation that shows itself in low self-esteem, chronic stress, and sometimes as a knock-on effect, chronic health issues.
We're navigating day to day life in chronic high alert and this can take a toll on our mental and physical wellbeing. Things that seem innocent suddenly become threatening- the tone of that email from a co-worker reads as hostile or belittling, an innocent comment from a stranger comes across as judgemental or condescending. In other words, we become reactive.
Our feelings of not being good enough are now manifested outwards- raw for the world to see and judge. This has been coined as "Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria". We might get labelled as overly sensitive, emotional or argumentative. This is the unspoken side of living with ADHD.