ADHD Masking is not a good behavioral trait as it can impact the person's mental health and may avoid treatment. ADHD Masking can have a significant impact on the lives of people as masking takes a lot of energy and effort, and as a result, people with ADHD often feel exhausted.
People who engage in ADHD masking might also be at higher risk for developing substance abuse problems to cope with how they feel inside, which can lead to even more health issues down the line. ADHD masking replaces outward stress with internal stress.
Consequences of Masking
Other troubles can include: Having trouble finding support when facing ADHD-related challenges. Complicating or delaying a diagnosis, leading to untreated ADHD. Developing anxiety and depression from undiagnosed ADHD.
A person with ADHD may feel the need to mask their symptoms around others to feel safe and fit in. Someone who continuously masks and excessively worries about their behaviors can become exhausting and have a negative effect on them. An individual with ADHD should not feel the need to hide parts of themselves.
Meltdowns are a physical reaction to overstimulation surrounding auditory overload, visual overload, and sensory overload in general. Meltdowns can also occur from the extreme exhaustion that comes from masking.
One type of ADHD masking — known as mirroring — involves intentionally or unintentionally mimicking the speech, movements, or behaviors of someone else. While ADHD mirroring and body doubling may seem similar at first glance, you can work alongside a body double without imitating them in any way.
Girls and women with ADHD are more likely than boys and men to develop compensatory behaviors that mask ADHD, which helps to explain why males are more likely than females to receive a diagnosis.
Lastly, symptoms of ADHD in girls are sometimes masked because they work hard to meet adult expectations. Without meaning to, adults have different expectations of girls than boys. In my clinical experience, adults expect girls to be tidy and organized, achieve good grades and to be easygoing.
For someone to fully unmask, they need to feel safe; they need to know, by observing your actions and behaviors, that there won't be negative consequences to being oneself. The more that you can show real acceptance, the more the ADHDer will be able to unmask.
Yes, ADHD is considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504). There are several types of disabilities, including but not limited to: learning disability. cognitive disability.
In response to trauma, a child's developing brain can become programmed to “look out” for behaviour, activities or events that they perceive as threatening. This “hyper-vigilance” can often mimic hyperactivity and distractibility associated with ADHD.
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”.
Untreated ADHD can cause challenges, from impulsive decision-making to difficulty focusing, both of which can seriously impact jobs, academics, and relationships. You may also feel frustration with yourself, or even feel like a failure, but - Plot twist!
A girl with ADHD may have impulsivity and be hyper-talkative. She may be verbally impulsive, interrupt others, talk excessively, or change topics repeatedly during conversations. She might even blurt out words without thinking about their impact on others. Girls with ADHD can also be overly sensitive.
People with ADHD tend to talk — a lot. We talk because we're excited or nervous, or because we just want to be a part of the conversation. Sometimes we talk simply to fill the silence because silence is hard for us.
ADHD burnout is a state of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion that can be caused by long-term, unmanaged ADHD symptoms and stressors. It is often characterized by feelings of overwhelming fatigue, reduced productivity, and a sense of hopelessness or despair.
Neurotypicals misinterpret this as being callous, narcissistic, uncaring, or socially inept. Taken together, the vulnerability of a person with ADHD to the negative feedback of others, and the lack of ability to observe oneself in the moment, make a witch's brew.
Autism masking, also known as Autism camouflaging, follows the same lines….. Masking is a word used to describe something seen in many children with ASD – when they learn, practice, and perform certain behaviours and suppress others in order to be more like the people around them.
Across genders, masking is associated with more symptoms of generalized and social anxiety, as well as depression. One study found that those who said they used masking had higher rates of suicidality. Autistic individuals also report extreme anxiety and stress after spending time suppressing their natural behaviors.
Anxiety: Those with anxiety disorders may mask their symptoms by avoiding situations or activities that trigger their anxiety. They may also use coping mechanisms such as deep breathing, distraction, or positive self-talk to avoid drawing attention to their anxious thoughts or behaviours.