What is “ADHD Masking”?
This post on ADHD is written by Caroline Shelby, M.A.
Key Insights
- Understand What Masking Is: Masking involves consciously or unconsciously suppressing ADHD symptoms to fit social norms and appear more neurotypical in various settings like school or work.
- Recognize Masking Strategies: People mask through camouflaging (mimicking others’ behaviors), overcompensating (creating extensive schedules and reminders), or suppression (forcing stillness and resisting impulses).
- Know Why People Mask: Individuals mask as a coping mechanism to reduce visible symptoms, fit in with peers, and avoid judgment or rejection from others in their environment.
- Identify Masking’s Consequences: Whether conscious or unconscious, masking is exhausting, can delay accurate diagnosis, and may contribute to or worsen co-occurring anxiety and depression symptoms.
- Seek Professional Support: Working with a clinician to explore masking behaviors, discuss their impacts, and develop healthier coping mechanisms is essential for managing ADHD authentically.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Individuals that experience ADHD may also experiencing a phenomenon called masking.
Masking is the conscious or unconscious repression of ADHD related symptoms. Masking can also occur in the context of other disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
Masking is an attempt to fit in with social norms and present in a more neurotypical way in various settings.
WHY DO PEOPLE MASK?
It’s important to remember that masking is not always intentional.
Individuals may mask as a coping mechanism, where masking can present like a reduction in symptomology.
People often mask to fit in with others in various settings, such as school or the workplace. Additionally, individuals may mask to avoid judgment or rejection from others.
Whether conscious or unconscious, these behaviors serve as protective strategies that help individuals navigate social expectations.
HOW DO PEOPLE MASK?
Masking can be both conscious and unconscious, manifesting in several distinct ways. It can present as camouflaging behaviors, which include mimicking other people’s behaviors, taking social cues from others, and copying others’ responses or body language.
Masking can also appear as overcompensating behaviors, such as creating extensive schedules or routines to follow, developing multiple checks and balances on to-do lists, and setting numerous reminders or alarms to ensure timeliness.
Additionally, masking can present as suppression behaviors, where individuals force themselves to stay still or remain in their seat and actively resist the urge to interrupt or call out.
These various forms of masking represent different strategies people use to manage their ADHD symptoms in social contexts.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF MASKING?
Whether conscious or unconscious, masking can be exhausting for individuals with ADHD. The constant effort to suppress or hide symptoms takes a significant mental and emotional toll.
Additionally, masking can delay diagnoses, as individuals may go for extended periods before their symptoms are noticed by others or recognized as requiring professional evaluation.
Perhaps most concerning, masking behaviors could contribute to or exacerbate co-morbid anxiety or depression symptoms, creating additional mental health challenges beyond the original ADHD diagnosis.
HOW DO YOU ADDRESS MASKING?
It may be helpful to explore masking behaviors with a clinician and discuss the impacts, if any, that masking may be creating in your life.
A clinician can aid in discussing masking alongside other coping mechanisms for ADHD-related symptoms, helping to identify healthier strategies for managing challenges.
Throughout this process, self-compassion and kindness towards oneself are important.
Recognizing and addressing masking behaviors is not about eliminating all coping strategies, but rather understanding their effects and developing a more sustainable approach to navigating life with ADHD.
In Summary
Overall, masking behaviors can be adaptive; however, they can also be incredibly exhausting. It is important to begin to recognize and name the various types of masking behaviors and to seek professional help in addressing and exploring masking behaviors.
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