ADHD Masking is basically a coping mechanism for hiding symptoms through learned behaviors which people with ADHD use to avoid shame and ridicule. People use these impression management tactics in their childhood, but as they grow old, these learned behaviors become overwhelming and difficult to manage.
Distorted Sense of Self Tied to ADHD
Undiagnosed individuals may try to cover up what's really going on for them or be disconnected from a cohesive sense of self. Those with a diagnosis may spend so much energy trying to blend in that they come to question their identity.
This is what's known as ADHD masking. It happens when a person tries to hide their ADHD symptoms to blend in with the crowd and protect themselves from judgment. This is done by mimicking the behaviors of those around them. In some instances, it can be a helpful strategy.
Since masking is an effort to improve social experience, the symptoms that people may try to mask are the ones they think might bother the people around them. These include: ADHD stimming, like pen clicking or leg bouncing. emotional volatility. impulsiveness.
A person can actively and intentionally mask, or it can be a subconscious behavior. If someone has become adept at masking, those they surround themselves with may never notice or know that one has an ADHD diagnosis.
Many adults with ADHD use coping strategies that help them hide their symptoms. This practice is known as ADHD masking and is especially common in women with ADHD. One type of ADHD masking — known as mirroring — involves intentionally or unintentionally mimicking the speech, movements, or behaviors of someone else.
Based on the hypothesis that high intelligence may mimic ADHD without the “true” disorder being present, it can be hypothesized that highly intelligent individuals with ADHD symptoms will not show the cognitive impairments that are usually found in (average intelligent) individuals with ADHD (Fig.
Signs of Masking
If you notice that you tend to look to others before deciding what to do in various situations, you might be masking by mimicking their behavior. If you do not feel like these choices come naturally to you, and you instead try to copy what you see, you might be masking your social behavior.
Executive functions have other roles which affect how someone thinks. In people with ADHD, these executive dysfunctions impact thinking in numerous ways. People with ADHD don't really think faster than people without it, but it can sometimes seem like they do. People with ADHD do think differently though, in a sense.
Can sensory issues be a symptom of ADHD? Sensory issues and sensory processing disorders are prevalent in people with ADHD. Although scientists are still researching the exact correlation, research has shown that kids and adults with ADHD are more likely than neurotypical people to experience sensory overload.
When people with ADHD are activated, they are often plagued by self-sabotaging, negative internal talk that prevents them from believing they can do things. It can be conscious or unconscious and can keep folks from setting, working towards, and reaching goals. It holds them back from doing what they want to do.
Individuals with ADHD may have difficulty completing tasks, staying on task, and following through with instructions. They may also find it challenging to interact with co-workers and manage time effectively. Untreated ADHD can lead to poor work performance and jeopardize an individual's employment.
“Opposites Attract”: People with ADHD are attracted to “organized” and joyless workers bees who can keep the trains running for the both of them and who in turn are drawn to their free-spirited ADHD partner's spontaneity and sense of fun.
One of the many ADHD traits that gets misread as a sign of rudeness is the habit of interrupting people in conversations, usually with a thought that seems completely unrelated to the topic. When someone gets cut off, they often think it means you weren't really listening or you don't care what they have to say.
ADD/ADHD is a brain disorder that results in problems with low stimulation and increased boredom.
Atypical Presentation of ADHD Symptoms
Sleep disturbances (has trouble with sleep initiation, sleep deprived, can't wake up easily, etc.) Weak executive function (poor recall of information, internalizing language, controlling emotions, problem-solving, etc.)
The rarest type of ADHD diagnosed is the hyperactive-impulsive type with no indication of inattentive or distracted behavior, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
Hiding your authentic self: Masking behavior obscures your natural personality. For example, in certain social situations, you might pretend to like different things than you actually do to fit in. Perhaps you find yourself laughing at jokes you don't find funny.
Conversational skills and humanity
Those with ADHD are often talkative , which means that they can spark an intriguing conversation in most scenarios. Another study highlights that people with ADHD may have higher levels of social intelligence, humor, and recognition of feeling, or empathy.
Everyone needs 7-9 hours of sleep each night to feel productive and well during the day. But people with ADHD often have a hard time falling or staying asleep. Because you feel tired, your ADHD symptoms get worse, and that makes it harder to sleep the next night.