Why ADHD Makes Rejection More Painful | Alex Partridge | TEDxManchester

Throughout his journey from successful entrepreneur to neurodiversity campaigner and host of a hugely successful podcast, Alex Partridge has been haunted by the fear of rejection, being labelled ‘over-sensitive’ and fighting the desire to people-please and having to protect himself from emotional harm. Alex’s talk draws on his own experience of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), the state of emotional dysregulation experienced by almost everyone with ADHD. He shares how it’s coloured every aspect of his life and he’ll use the insights he’s gained from the world’s top experts on ADHD to share with you simple steps to regaining boundaries, confidence and self-belief. Alex Partridge is a leading voice in the neurodiversity space, dedicated to unpacking the complexities of living and working with ADHD. Alex was previously best known as the founder of social media giants UNILAD and LADbible. From just 21 years old, Alex experienced the high highs of building global audiences of over 100 million people. Privately though Alex was contending with struggles with burnout, anxiety and addiction. At age 34, a late diagnosis of ADHD radically reshaped Alex’s worldview. It provided a profound insight into his mental health battles and explained the “boom-and-bust” cycles of his early career. Today, Alex has channeled this revelation into a powerful advocacy platform. He is now Host of ADHD Chatter, a chart-topping UK podcast reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners each month, where he explores the nuances of neurodivergence with experts and peers. Alex is also the bestselling author of Now It All Makes Sense, offering a raw look at how he’s navigated life post-diagnosis. His latest book book, Why Does Everybody Hate Me, was published in March 2026. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx