🌙 The Hidden Cost of “Looking Fine”: Understanding Masking

Have you ever felt like you’re acting your way through life…carefully matching what people expect just to survive the day?
That’s masking.

Masking happens when neurodivergent people (those with ADHD, autism, PTSD, or similar conditions) hide their natural traits to seem “normal.” It might look like forcing eye contact, mimicking social behavior, over-explaining, or pushing through exhaustion to keep up appearances.

But here’s the truth:
Masking protects us short-term, yet it drains us long-term.
It leads to burnout, anxiety, depression, and even a loss of self because you can’t heal while pretending to be someone else.

The scariest part? Many women and AFAB (assigned female at birth) individuals don’t even realize they’re masking. They’ve done it since childhood, learning that being “too emotional,” “too intense,” or “too different” made others uncomfortable.

✨ Healing starts when you stop performing and start understanding why you felt you had to.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not broken. You’ve just been surviving in a world that wasn’t built for your wiring.
And the moment you start unmasking, you begin to breathe again.