An Autistic Perspective #TakeTheMaskOff – Masking, Mental Health, & Burnout

Masking can be hard on your self-esteem. Things you do naturally seem to irritate or be strange to other people. You learn to become whoever the person in front of you expects you to be. When an autistic person picks up the mask it is often a way to blend in, survive, or avoid abuse and bullying. Shaming comments like “That was weird!” “What’s wrong with you?” and “Are you okay?” become cues not to do whatever it was you were doing just before the comment. So you put it away – not now, not here, not in public. Wait till you’re home alone.

This is what I was talking about when I was talking about my mask the other day. It’s a defense mechanism, a way of coping, blending in. And it’s emotionally taxing.

I’ve been making a point of taking the mask off when I’m alone lately, and it seems to be helping. I’m hoping that once I get comfortable with that, I can move on to taking it off around my family, and then maybe the public? I don’t know. That seems risky.