Understanding the Root Cause of Pathological Demand Avoidance and Equalizing Behavior | Ep. 168
About this episode
Casey discusses the definition of Pathological Demand Avoidance and its implications for understanding behavior and treatment.
In this episode I share the definition of PDA I use: PDA is a survival drive for autonomy and equality that consistently overrides other survival instincts, including eating, sleeping, toileting, hygiene, and safety. I explain how this is different from older definitions that consider PDA to be anxiety driven, and why that distinction matters clinically and practically. I also I introduce the concept of equalizing - the behavioral expression of the disability that extends well beyond demand avoidance into physical, verbal, and relational patterns that can look like manipulation, control, or defiance but are actually a nervous system response. Key Takeaways Why the Definition of PDA Matters: Survival Drive vs. Anxiety | 00:02:05 The original framing describes PDA as an anxiety-driven need for control. Anxiety is a future-oriented cognitive experience, and that framing points clinicians and parents toward exposure therapy, medication for anxiety, and pushing through avoidance. My definition is different. PDA is a survival drive for autonomy and equality that operates on a subconscious level, in the nervous system, before conscious thought. A child can love their grandparent, be…
More episodes of At Peace Parents Podcast
- Shame, Power, and Pathological Demand Avoidance in Children and Teens with Dr. Gillian Boudreau | Ep. 172
- Why Lowering Demands May Not Be Enough For Your PDA Child | Ep. 171
- Using the PDA Lens to Change Your Parenting With Pathological Demand Avoidance | Ep. 170
- Addictive Behaviors and the Nervous System in PDA: A Conversation With Jan Winhall | Ep. 169
- School Advocacy for Pathological Demand Avoidance with Dr. Destiny Huff | Ep. 167
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