Pathological demand avoidance (also known as PDA or extreme demand avoidance) is a relatively rare subset of autism spectrum disorder (formerly known as pervasive developmental disorders).
Many people are unfamiliar with PDA and how it can impact a person’s everyday life and well-being. For those who are confused and unsure of where to turn for detailed information, explained below are some of the most important things everyone should know about this condition.
Table of Contents
(click on a question to be directed quickly)
What is Pathological Demand Avoidance?
What causes PDA?
How is PDA related to Autism?
How do you treat PDA?
What Is Pathological Demand Avoidance?
The term pathological demand avoidance was originally coined in the 1980s by Elizabeth Newson, a British developmental psychologist. She then went on to publish her first article on it in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood in 2003.
“Pathological demand avoidance” describes an extreme resistance to the ordinary demands of everyday life. A person with PDA resists and avoids all kinds of demands and expectations, including commonplace things like commands, timetables, written instructions, signs, and laws.
These people often struggle with increased anxiety and panic attacks. They may exhibit obsessive behavior in an attempt to avoid everyday demands, and they may even avoid things that they usually enjoy if they feel an expectation to perform a specific activity at a specific time.
It’s important to note that PDA is a lifelong condition that affects people of all ages. It is not a choice or someone merely being difficult or stubborn.
According to the Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) Society, people with PDA may exhibit the following behaviors and traits:
- Avoiding ordinary demands of life simply because someone else expects them. Expectations can cause people with PDA to feel a lack of control, which then triggers feelings of anxiety and panic.
- Seemingly irrational levels of avoidance. A person might have a dramatic response to small requests and even normal bodily functions. For example, feeling hungry may stop someone from being able to eat because they’re resisting the demand from their body.
- Mood swings and impulsivity. People with PDA often struggle with emotional regulation and can experience rapid mood swings, often in response to pressures of demands and expectations (real or perceived).
- Changing subjects, asking questions, or procrastinating to an extreme extent to avoid meeting obligations and expectations.