Why Criticism Can Hit So Hard When You Have ADHD

Why can a small piece of feedback stay in your head for hours? In this video, James explores criticism in adult ADHD: what qualitative research has found, why repeated criticism can become tied to self-worth, and how emotional dysregulation, perfectionism, and past experiences may all contribute. The goal is not to say that people with ADHD cannot handle feedback. It is to understand why feedback can sometimes feel much bigger than the words actually said—and how to respond without turning one mistake into a judgement about who you are.