The Insider Guide to PDA

Name: The Insider Guide to PDA
Price: 44.99 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781399830690

Sally Cat, Brook Madera, Linda K. Murphy

$44.99

Paperback

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English

Jessica Kingsley Publishers
21 January 2026

Coping with illness; Coping with disability; Family & relationships; Advice on parenting

""Don't tell me what to do"" - everyone's said it (or thought it!), but for the PDA brain it's a tenet that makes everyday tasks a constant challenge. Whether it's a request from a friend or a social expectation to do something, pathological demand avoidance can throw a bucket of ice water on your motivation, or create anxiety that builds up and boils over as a meltdown.

In this essential primer, PDAers Sally Cat and Brook Madera explain what PDA is, how it manifests, and what you can do to minimise its impact. They explore its interaction with other forms of neurodivergence, potential misdiagnosis as a multitude of other conditions and disorders, and how it actually feels in reality. They also highlight the positives of PDA life, as shared by other PDAers and their loved ones.

Whether you're a PDAer yourself, or know one and want to support them, this Insider Guide will help you understand what PDA is and how to live with it.

By: Sally Cat, Brook Madera
Foreword by: Linda K. Murphy
Imprint: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 214mm, Width: 138mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 190g
ISBN: 9781399830690
ISBN 10: 1399830694
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 21 January 2026
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sally Cat (Author) Sally Cat is a consultant, speaker, and leading expert on internalised PDA. She is the author of PDA by PDAers, Pathological Demand Avoidance Explained, Sleep Misfits, and Calendar Girl. Sally runs the Sally Cat Facebook page, which supports over 40,000 PDAers. Brook Madera (Author) Brook Madera (No Pressure PDA) lives in Oregon and founded the non-profit, PDA USA. Brook runs the Facebook groups No Pressure PDA and PDA USA: Pathological Demand Avoidance. She has served as PDA North America's liaison for PDA lived experience, and was a speaker for both their 2024-2025 conferences.

Reviews for The Insider Guide to PDA

It was a privilege to read The Insider's Guide to PDA by Sally Cat and Brook Madera. They are both such talented individuals and leaders in the PDA community. They share their experiences and beliefs about PDA in this well-named book that covers so much. -- Diane Gould, Founder & Executive Director PDA North America This guide is essential for anyone who wants to move beyond outdated, behavior-based interpretations of PDA. It fills a crucial gap by revealing the nervous-system roots of PDA and offering an affirming, relationship-centered path toward safety, connection, and growth. -- Chris Wenger, a.k.a. Speech Dude, neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist