Taylor Smith 
Taysmith@lc.edu   

Imagine living your life not as your true self, but as the person others want. You constantly ignore your feelings. You claim to hate things you love because they are not popular. Claiming to love things you hate because you need to fit in. You feel you must use your customer service voice in every interaction. You feel as if you can never live for yourself, but instead live for the comfort of everyone around you.   

For many, this is an overcomplicated situation. Most can’t imagine going through it. Yet, for many neurodivergent people, it is a harsh reality that makes life difficult for them. Society expects you to fit in with the crowd. If you don’t, you are often ostracized because of that lack of conformity. Many neurodivergent people have erratic behaviors. These often lead to ridicule from neurotypical people.   

Due to this ridicule, and the pressure to fit in, many neurodivergent people will often hide their traits or “mask.” Masking was once seen as good. It showed a person was overcoming their neurodivergences. However, it is now known to be a cause of even worse mental health issues in the future. Such as having detrimental effects on a person’s mental and physical health. These effects can include anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and a loss of self-identity. All these can lead to a person feeling burnt out and can even lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.   

Many neurodivergent people are taught to mask from an early age. They may spend years masking their neurodivergence without even realizing it. While removing the mask is helpful, it is also a process that can take years to get through. It takes a lot of time and effort to unlearn the behavior of masking, and it can take many attempts.   

For a person learning to unmask, it is good to take things a little at a time. It can be as simple as diving into a special interest. Or, tell yourself it’s okay to stim in public. It’s also fine to have days when you don’t speak. It’s not worth the risk to your health. Forcing yourself to mask to please others can harm your well-being. It can hurt you mentally, physically, and emotionally in the long run.   

For a person not ready to unmask, and all neurotypical people in the world, it is important to be kind and respectful to those around you. As stated earlier, masking can harm a person’s mental well-being. Being kind to them will help them progress.