22/07/2026
I really respect .com for her commitment to evidence based medicine in combination with consistent professional advocacy for the neurodivergent community.
She specialises in adhd and women, which is a recognised under researched and under resourced area. She takes the time and shows the courage to put her face and content online so she can help more than one person at a time. Thank you!
ADHD is a common co-occurring condition for many autistic people, and being inspired by how others frame their responses about many overlapping experiences about neurodivergent differences can be useful for all of us in progressing our advocacy skills.
You might be a parent advocating for a child, or exploring how you can better understand your own lived experience.
Check out Helen's recent social media contribution when asked about how to deal with professionals who question or dismiss RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria):
I think it’s important to separate the term from the experience.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) is not currently a formal diagnostic condition, and there isn’t enough evidence to confirm it as a distinct syndrome. That’s true.
But it is equally true that many people with ADHD describe experiencing an unusually intense emotional response to perceived criticism, rejection or failure, and emotional dysregulation is now recognised as an important feature of ADHD, even though it isn’t part of the core DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for adults.
We also know that ADHD is associated with differences in brain networks involved in emotional regulation, threat detection and executive control. Add in years of criticism, masking and negative life experiences which many late-diagnosed women have lived through; and it’s entirely plausible that rejection feels far more painful for some people than for others.
So rather than arguing over whether we should call it “RSD”, I’d rather focus on what matters clinically: understanding the person’s experience, validating it, and helping them develop strategies that reduce its impact.
Medicine has always evolved by first listening to patients and then refining our understanding through research. We shouldn’t dismiss a common lived experience simply because we don’t yet have a perfect label for it.
The name may evolve as the science evolves. But the distress many people experience is real, and that’s what deserves our attention. The women I have met is my lived experience and it’s valid just like yours is. You are always believed here.
Welcome to the official website of Dr. Helen Wall, GP, TV health doctor, and media expert. Discover her work in broadcasting, medical writing, keynote speaking, and public health advocacy.
