Over time we may become more aware of our own masking, but it often begins as an unconscious response to social trauma before we even grasp our differences.
Signs you are Masking Autism Through Pretending
☑ Conversations feel unnatural and don't flow smoothly. ☑ You often find yourself pretending to be "normal" in social situations. ☑ You rely on the support or presence of others to navigate social interactions.
It's not always easy to tell if someone is masking because they behave in opposition to how they feel. However, if someone is constantly smiling or agrees with everyone else all the time, they might be masking a mental health problem. The same is true if they frequently copy your facial expressions or body language.
The detrimental long-term effects of having to mask include: Autistic fatigue or autistic burnout (severe exhaustion accompanied by other difficulties, including increased meltdowns or shutdowns). Rejection of their own identity, impacting self-esteem. Mental ill-health, including anxiety and depression.
In conclusion, a major indicator of autism masking in children is when they're a completely different child at home to when they are not at home. (i.e., From being in a safe place to being in a non-safe space).
It's critical to understand what's going on because camouflaging is associated with many adverse outcomes in autistic individuals, like higher anxiety and depression. We are seeing studies that show masking in girls as young as 7 or 8 years old on the school playground.
Surveys of adults with autism have stated that the act of camouflaging is a protective shield against the judgement of others and the need to feel like they're accepted. Although masking is more common in girls than boys, this does not mean that boys do not camouflage.
The mental and emotional energy it takes to mask often results in an unleashing of pent up emotions when back in their safe place, most often at home. This is known as the coke bottle effect.
Autistic women and girls may, as mentioned, be better at 'camouflaging' or 'masking' their symptoms, while displaying subtler characteristic behavioral presentation than men and boys (1).
There are three major areas of undiagnosed autism in adults. Those include social interactions, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive or ritualistic behaviors.
Hiding your authentic self: Masking behavior obscures your natural personality. For example, in certain social situations, you might pretend to like different things than you actually do to fit in. Perhaps you find yourself laughing at jokes you don't find funny.
Common signs of autism in adults include: finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling. getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own.
When regularly done, masking can lead to autistic burnout. Autistic burnout is the extreme fatigue — mental, physical and emotional exhaustion — that results from constantly hiding your natural traits.
Coping mechanisms are strategies or behaviors that individuals use to manage or deal with challenging or distressing situations. Masking, as a coping mechanism, involves concealing one's true emotions, thoughts, or struggles as a way to navigate social situations or cope with internal difficulties.
Caffeine — in a travel mug, Hershey wrapper, or mid-day Coke — is a natural stimulant that boosts dopamine production in the brain. This helps to explain why so many adults with ADHD say they couldn't live without it.
Dehydration can impact executive functioning, attention, and memory. Those with ADHD may be especially prone to dehydration due to hyperfocus, forgetfulness, and lower self-awareness. Stimulant medications can also lead to dehydration. Adults should drink between 9 and 13 cups of water a day to stay hydrated.
Autism in girls often presents as deficits in social skills and communication. Girls with autism may also have repetitive behaviors, but they tend to be better at boys than hiding them and fitting in with peers. Girls may be hyper-focused on a specific topic and not participate in school to their potential.
“High-functioning autism” isn't an official medical term or diagnosis. It's an informal one some people use when they talk about people with autism spectrum disorder , or ASD, who can speak, read, write, and handle basic life skills like eating and getting dressed. They can live independently.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
Despite the consequences of masking, these experiences of masking are not universal, and others saw consequence in not masking: “I have never been able to mask, which is why I have always been a target for bullying and abuse” (Autistic woman, 36).
Clonakilty in County Cork, Ireland, and Austin in Minnesota, United States are two communities that have chosen to embrace neurodiversity, and more specifically, autism.