STUCK MOMENT · ADHD-LED ANSWER · 4 SECONDS

They haven't replied. I'm spiraling.

Tell me the situation. I'll give you the plain version, what your brain is making up, and one small thing to do.

Why this happens

Rejection-sensitive dysphoria (RSD) is an ADHD-adjacent pattern — your brain treats one delayed reply as evidence of a much bigger story. Most of the time, the bigger story isn't real. The way out isn't to white-knuckle through it; it's to name what's actually happening (a delayed reply), what your brain is adding (an entire narrative about the relationship), and what you can do in the next hour (usually: nothing).

The example we'll start with

I texted a friend three hours ago and they haven't replied. We usually text right back. I'm spiraling that I said something wrong, that they're mad, that the friendship is over.

Click the button above and the textarea pre-fills with this example. Edit it to match your real situation, or use it as-is.