In this episode, our host, Rachel, speaks with Matt, a PDA adult working for the police, about navigating life and work through the lens of Pathological Demand Avoidance. From recognising his PDA traits later in life to finding strategies that make a demanding job sustainable, Matt shares what it’s really like balancing public service with a neurodivergent profile.

With honesty, humour and insight, Matt reflects on the challenges of masking, managing authority, and meeting the expectations of both himself and others. He talks about the importance of self-awareness, the moments of burnout, and the adjustments that have helped him thrive within – and sometimes in spite of – the structure of policing. This episode offers a rare glimpse into PDA in the workplace and the everyday realities of working in high-pressure environments.

Whether you’re PDA yourself, love someone who is, or work in a setting with strict rules and routines, this conversation will leave you with a deeper understanding of how flexibility, empathy and self-acceptance can make all the difference.

Deep Diver Subscriber Episodes - For those who’d like to go further, a exclusive “Deep Diver” subscriber episodes are available through our Training Hub. You can access them here: https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by guest speakers in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the PDA Society. While we aim to provide balanced and inclusive discussions, individual experiences and perspectives may vary. The PDA Society is committed to using language and terminology that reflects the preferences of PDA/autistic people, but sometimes our guests may use language and terminology which differs. Appearance on our podcast is not an endorsement of an individual, and not all of our guests will align with our position on the issues discussed.

Further sources of support and information

• PDA Society Training Hub: https://training.pdasociety.org.uk/pda-podcasts/
• PDA Society Website: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/
• PDA Society Training: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/training/
• PDA Society Support Service: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/support-and-training/support/