Beneath The Surface

Beneath The Surface

PDA and the Nervous System

What People with PDA Wish Therapists Knew

Holly Bridges's avatar
Holly Bridges
Sep 12, 2025
∙ Paid
6
Share

Pathological (or Persistent) Demand Avoidance (PDA) is often misunderstood as a behavioural problem. In truth, it is a body-based response rooted in nervous system regulation. When we understand PDA through a polyvagal lens, what looks like defiance is more accurately a survival strategy.

This handout shares what people with PDA and their families consistently say they wish professionals understood.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to Beneath The Surface to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Holly Bridges
Publisher Privacy ∙ Publisher Terms
Substack
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture