Shutdown, Panic, or Trauma?: Disentangling Rejection Sensitivity, Autistic

If you are autistic and also have ADHD (AuDHD), this book addresses the challenge of distinguishing between three distinct nervous system responses that require different solutions: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), Autistic Shutdowns, and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This guide aims to solve the difficulty in emotional regulation by providing clear identification methods for each state.

Understanding Overwhelming Emotional Responses

This book helps you identify and differentiate between:

• Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Unbearable emotional pain resulting from perceived criticism, often leading to an immediate desire to disappear or rage.
• Autistic Shutdowns: An emergency response when sensory, social, or cognitive overload becomes too much, potentially leading to exhaustion and nonverbal states.
• Complex PTSD (C-PTSD): Trauma responses stemming from prolonged invalidation, bullying, masking, and marginalization common among neurodivergent individuals.

Using the incorrect recovery strategy can worsen suffering. This resource explains why treating RSD like a shutdown, or vice versa, is counterproductive, and how trauma responses interact with these states.

Key Features and Protocols

Inside this paperback, you will find practical tools designed for real-time application:

• The Three-Question Rapid Assessment for immediate identification of the current state.
• Physical sensation mapping guides to help determine the underlying cause based on bodily feelings.
• Decision trees tailored for common scenarios such as boss criticism, cancelled plans, and partner conflicts.
• Specific recovery protocols proven effective for each distinct experience, moving beyond generic advice.
• Explanations of the vicious cycle where RSD creates trauma vulnerability and trauma amplifies RSD.
• Analysis of why autistic shutdowns occur during RSD episodes and trauma flashbacks.
• The 'stress bucket' concept, detailing why neurodivergent individuals may fill their stress capacity faster than neurotypical peers.
• Scripts provided for explaining your needs in various situations.

Specifications

• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Print Length: 145 pages
• Author: Muriel Gabriela Harrington
• Publisher: Neurodiverse Ways Press
• ISBN-13: 978-1923646162
• Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm (approx. 6 x 9 inches)
• Weight: 204 g
• Release Date: November 7, 2025

Gain clarity on your internal experiences and learn targeted strategies to manage Rejection Sensitivity, Shutdowns, and Trauma responses effectively.