354 Why Even Your Own To-Dos Feel Like an Attack: The Explosive Reality of Adult PDA

I Have ADHD Podcast

Kristen Carder

Self-improvement, Health & Fitness, Education, Mental Health

4.8 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 25 November 2025

⏱️ 72 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

If you’ve ever thought, “No one can tell me what to do… not even me,” this episode might feel like someone finally turned the lights on.

This week, Kristen sits down with Kendahl Damashek — parent coach, Director of Content and Curriculum for At Peace Parents, and a PDA Autistic mom of four PDA kids — for a groundbreaking conversation about Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in adults.

Together, they explore:

How PDA actually shows up in adults (and the subtle signs many people miss)
Why everyday tasks like “just start the laundry” can trigger a full-body nope
What’s happening in the nervous system when internal or external demands feel like a threat
How to work with your nervous system instead of fighting it
Practical first steps for anyone thinking, “Wait… this might be me.”

If you’ve struggled with “self-sabotage,” shutdowns, avoidance spirals, or a lifelong pattern of resisting pressure — even your own — this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a completely different way forward.

Follow Casey Ehrlich on Instagram and be sure to check out At Peace Parents

Watch this episode on YouTube

Want help with your ADHD? Join FOCUSED!

Have questions for Kristen? Call 1.833.281.2343

Hang out with Kristen on Instagram and TikTok

Go to drinkag1.com/ihaveadhd to get a FREE Welcome Kit with an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3 plus K2, when you first subscribe!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the I Have ADHD podcast, where it's all about education, encouragement, and coaching for adults with ADHD.
0:13.8	I'm your host, Kristen Carter, and I have ADHD. Let's chat about the frustrations, humor,
0:20.0	and challenges of adulting, relationships,
0:22.8	working, and achieving with this neurodevelopmental disorder. I'll help you understand your unique brain,
0:29.7	unlock your potential, and move from point A to point B. Hey, what's up? This is Kristen Carter,
0:35.9	and you've tuned into the I Have ADHD podcast. I am
0:39.4	medicated, caffeinated, regulated, and I'm ready to roll. I'm ready to party. That's what I'm
0:45.8	ready to do. We're going to party today. I am so looking forward to this conversation.
0:50.9	If you tuned in last week, we had a discussion about pathological demand avoidance or
0:55.1	PDA in children. And this week, we are talking about what that might look like in adults.
1:01.6	And I've got to tell you, I get asked questions about PDA in adults constantly in focused,
1:10.1	my ADHD coaching program. And I really think that this is something
1:13.8	that is so important for us to learn and talk about. So I am thrilled today to welcome back
1:20.7	Casey Erlich from at peace parents. It's so exciting. And with her, she brought a colleague.
1:27.3	And my goodness, get ready.
1:30.5	Let me tell you a little bit about Kendall.
1:33.1	Kendall Damasek is a parent coach and the director of content and curriculum for
1:37.2	at-peace parents, a neurodiversity affirming organization that provides education to support
1:42.6	others in understanding and supporting
1:45.2	PDA children and teens around the world. Kendall is also a PDA autistic mother, raising four
1:52.7	PDA humans under the age of 10. Yes. That's true. My goodness. That's not nothing. It's not nothing. That's quite, that is quite the thing.
2:06.3	I'm so glad that you're here with us, Kendall. I know you're going to add a nuance and a lens to
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 16 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Kristen Carder, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Kristen Carder and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.