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Getting a label for your condition is meant to grant some relief to you, via being able to refer to/understand more of the coping mechanisms for your symptoms,
But when you have something not so widely documented, like PDA, you have to discover most of those mechanisms for yourself.
Pathological Demand Avoidance is a specific and rather uncommon profile on the Autistic Spectrum. I think most things are on some kind of spectrum, it's just especially visible in the case of Autism.
A lot of being Autistic (or other Neuro-Divergent conditions) is finding your own certain niche to managing things in a society that is not tailored in regards to our needs and abilities.
A lot of NDs find life too demanding as is; the thing is, when you throw in lesser-documented symptoms and hypothesis into the mix then you end up juggling different techniques and theories on top of everything else to see what works, and what flops.
PDA is fraught with misconceptions, clashing scientific opinions, and people out-right denying its existence.
I'm writing this post with the goal of opening minds on this subject.
I'm here telling you it absolutely exists, and if it didn't then what am I living on a daily basis?
Does everyone with PDA have some kind of collective/mass hysteria?
That litany of things we all suffered during our childhoods, before we even knew the term "PDA", was some kind of mirage?
... Hey, are you gaslighting us?! That's not cool-
Here IS what we've gone through:
- The urge to socialise, yet lack of social ability.
- Some of us experience little to no outward meltdowns, and have more internalised ones instead.
- Subconcious avoidance of tasks. Even desperately WANTING to do things, yet you simply CAN'T make yourself.
- Knowing you naturally act off-putting, AND THEN NATURALLY MASKING OVER IT.
- Poor educational achievement despite others' expectations. (Pfff, if you ask me, it's BECAUSE of the expectations...)
- Appearing self-destructive. Regularly misdiagnosed as co-morbid ADHD, BPD, ODD, Bipolar Disorder, etc.
- Freezing up, or trying to superficially appeal to authority when placed under direct pressure.
- Weirdly over-obsessed with a certain person, or people, in their life?!?
- And so, so much more!
... but a lot of it straight up isn't documented enough,
because it's that rabid cycle of unawareness fuelling unawareness, that plagues so many causes out there.
If you truly suspect you have PDA, please speak up about your experiences.
It's in our DNA to rebel against mismanagement, let's make it our pleasure to make a change.
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