Pathological Demand Avoidance in Adults with ADHD: Why You Can't Do the Thing (Even When You Want To)

You wanted the pottery class right up until you signed up for it. Now your own calendar feels like an order from a boss you resent. Demand avoidance (PDA) in adults isn't laziness or defiance — it's a nervous-system response to losing autonomy, and it's common in ADHD brains. Here's why pushing harder backfires, what the research actually says, and the moves that help.