79: 4 Reasons Behind ADHD People Pleasing

You keep saying yes when you mean no, then spend the rest of the day resentful about something you agreed to in the first place. If you've been told your ADHD people-pleasing is a boundaries problem, and that explanation hasn't actually changed anything, this episode is for you.

I break down the four explanations coaches and therapists usually give for people-pleasing and ADHD: rejection sensitive dysphoria, the automatic yes, penance for old mistakes, and chasing a quick dopamine hit. None are wrong, and none go deep enough on their own. I walk through why the fawn response takes over before you're even aware you've said yes, and what nervous system regulation for ADHD actually has to do with finally being able to say no and mean it.

If you're caught in that yes-then-resent cycle and want to work through it directly, I'm hosting a Healing People Pleasing workshop on October 9th.

00:00 – Understanding People Pleasing and ADHD

03:07 – People Pleasing as a Protective Shield Against Rejection

04:56 – The Fawn Response: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn Explained

07:20 – Digging Deeper: Rejection Sensitivity and the Nervous System

21:15 – How Regulation Brings Freedom from People-Pleasing

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/4-reasons-behind-adhd-people-pleasing

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