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Last reviewed: 03/02/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If demand avoidance in adults shows up in your life, you may recognize the feeling: a simple request (send an email, make an appointment, start the dishes) can land in your body like a threat. You might even hear yourself thinking, “why do I resist everything?” even when you genuinely want the outcome. In this article, you’ll learn: What “demand avoidance” means and how it relates to PDA-style patterns Why autonomy can fe

Last reviewed: 02/23/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly If you’re looking for a medical trauma therapist, you might be carrying something that’s hard to name. Maybe you’re “fine” on paper, but your body tenses when the portal notification pops up. Maybe you cancel appointments you actually need. Maybe you’re exhausted from being on alert. Medical trauma isn’t only about one dramatic moment. It can come from pain, frightening procedures, serious illness, repeated exposures, or

Perimenopause sensory overload can turn everyday input—noise, heat, seams, and touch - into “too much.” Learn why thresholds shift, how autism/ADHD can intersect, and practical ways to prevent shutdowns and recover faster.

Last reviewed: 03/18/2026 Reviewed by: Dr. Kiesa Kelly This page is about what happens when ADHD-like overwhelm and insomnia collide in perimenopause. If you are lying awake at 3AM feeling exhausted but mentally wide open, it can be hard to tell what is driving what. Poor sleep alone can worsen attention, working memory, follow-through, and emotional regulation in dramatic ways. ADHD can also make it harder to downshift at night. Together, they can create the familiar “wired

AuDHD traits in women can look like “high functioning” success on the outside while the inside feels like burnout, shutdowns, or relentless perfectionism. Learn how to tell the difference from depression, why demand avoidance can be protective, and how assessment can turn patterns into practical supports.

A pda profile describes when everyday requests (even enjoyable ones) can feel like a threat to autonomy—triggering intense avoidance, big emotions, and “power struggle” cycles. This guide explains signs across ages and offers dignity-preserving supports.

If you have ADHD, you may know this pattern intimately: a single email arrives, a colleague asks for “one quick thing,” or a message bubble pops up—and suddenly your body tightens, your mind blanks, and you can’t start. This article is about adult ADHD therapy for overwhelm when the overwhelm isn’t coming from one big project, but from a hundred small ones. You’ll learn what “micro‑demands” are, why they can trigger a freeze response, and what actually helps in real life—e

If you’ve lived with PDA-profile demand avoidance (in yourself or in your child), you already know the frustrating paradox: the more someone pushes, the less it works. What looks like “refusal” or “opposition” on the outside is often an internal nervous system threat response to demands—especially when those demands feel trapping, controlling, or impossible to escape. This is where low demand therapy for demand avoidance can be a game-changer. A low-demand, autonomy-supportiv

CBT-I helps retrain the mind–body system so insomnia isn’t “stuck on.” In this post, you’ll learn how stress and conditioned arousal sustain sleeplessness—and how practical breath, light, movement, and cognitive tools (plus when to add CBT-I with ScienceWorks) can help you unlearn insomnia.