Goofy gif because that’s my style but in all seriousness it’s a thing!
A quick definition I grabbed offline that summarizes what masking is: “ADHD masking may also be called ‘camouflaging’. This is when someone with ADHD tries to cover up their symptoms by copying the behaviors of people who don’t have it. ADHD masking may be a way for some people with ADHD to fit in socially, avoid being stigmatized, or feel more accepted.” (https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-adhd-masking-5200863)
Before I got diagnosed with ADHD last year, I started seeing a boom of ADHD awareness on TikTok (thank goodness!). I didn’t even know what masking was before then or the different ways we as neurodivergents do it. For me, I tend to mute my ‘too much’ personality into a bland, calm, dull version of myself to be more acceptable by the public and my peers. I’ve been doing it for so long, that it’s actually created more anxiety within myself because I am subconsciously working that much harder to suppress who I really am.
Being told over and over again that you’re ‘too much’, ‘loud’, ‘rude for interrupting’, ‘talk too fast’, ‘weird’, ‘too fidgety’, ‘obsessed with that one thing’, and so on can lead to the desire to not show who we really are (this goes for not ADHDers too!).
Add to that becoming a business owner and trying to act in a way that I believe is more acceptable and WOW, burnout central…quite easily!If you struggle with trying to find a persona that will fit the approval of this online space…STOP!
You are amazing just the way you are and let your quirkiness shine through!!
We are all unique and have something to offer!
My word for this year is ‘vulnerability’ and this means removing my ‘mask’. It might not happen overnight, but slowly over time. I’m already feeling more light just sharing this post.