Yet another psychology thread because y'all insist on tweeting nonsense

How do you tell the difference between ADHD and a mood disorder (bipolar, cyclothymic disorder, MDD, etc.)?

People with ADHD can experience rejective sensitive dysphoria (RSD), which is a manifestation of emotional dysregulation combined with impaired executive functioning. It's not a diagnosis.

RSD is an emotional response to a real or perceived rejection, failure, disappointment, etc. Individuals who experience RSD tend to negatively interpret ambiguous social interactions, and the emotional response is *disproportionately intense* to the event that triggered it.

RSD is highly impairing. It can look like emotional outbursts, emotional withdrawal, social avoidance, low self-esteem, rumination, perseveration, etc. and all of those things can cause serious interpersonal problems.

RSD can be misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression when it's the only overt symptom (see also: inattentive type, especially in women), which are unfortunately often treated as the primary or only diagnosis.

RSD is different from a mood disorder (MD) in a few ways:

1. RSD occurs in response to a very clear trigger. MD can be untriggered and independent of life events.

2. RSD mood shifts are immediate and end quickly. MD mood shifts have a more gradual onset and episodes last longer

Hyperactivity and impulsivity also look different in adults. Here's some ways it can show up:

*Reckless or distracted driving
*Risky sexual behaviors
*Drug/alcohol use
*Shoplifting
*Gambling
*Self-harm/suicide attempts
*Verbally impulsive (interrupting, oversharing, lying)

Hyperactivity and impulsivity in adults continued:

*Verbal aggression
*Irritability and low frustration tolerance
*Dysregulated eating

At first glance, you might think those sound like symptoms of a manic episode. But what exactly is mania?

A manic episode is a period of extreme highs that are *noticeably different* from an individual's typical behavior. Symptoms include:

*Inflated self-esteem or grandiosity
*Decreased need for sleep
*Increased talkativeness (speed, volume)
*Disconnected and racing thoughts

Symptoms of mania continued:

*Increase in goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation
*Engaging in activities that hold the potential for painful consequences
*Inappropriate elation or euphoria

You may even experience symptoms of psychosis during a manic episode

Moral of the story: PLEASE stop throwing words around I am begging