Hey everyone! We’re taking our own advice this week and looking after our energy levels — both of us are juggling some extra work hours and doing our best to avoid burnout. So instead of a brand-new episode today, we’re re-running one of our most popular and meaningful conversations. Thank you so much for your understanding as we take a breather — we’ll be back with our Hot Topic episode on Friday as usual. And next week, we’ll be celebrating a huge milestone — 100,000 downloads! 🎉

This episode dives into living with pathological demand avoidance (PDA). This condition isn’t officially recognised by most authorities, but one that deeply affects how some neurodivergent people experience daily life.

We share our personal stories and examples of how demand avoidance manifests — from struggles with completing tasks to seeking medical help, to even engaging in the hobbies we love. We also reflect on how PDA impacts mental health, relationships, and self-perception, and how a lack of understanding can make things even harder.

🧠 Key Takeaways:

• Living with demand avoidance can deeply affect work, relationships, and well-being.
• Demand avoidance isn’t laziness or procrastination — it’s a genuine internal struggle that can be difficult to explain or overcome.
• The lack of official recognition can lead to frustration and a lack of proper support.
• Listening to and validating the experiences of people with demand avoidance is essential — their struggles are real and valid.
• Misdiagnosis or a lack of understanding of neurodivergent conditions can seriously impact a person’s mental health and access to support.

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