Lmst

A functional autistic life doesn’t come from imitating a neurotypical life.

#unmasking #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

The more that we unmask, the more that we face our own dark sides, the more that we live in integrity, the more we naturally can handle authenticity from other people.

#AutisticMasking #unmasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Unmasking My Office Part 1 - This Isn't Overthinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LXH2bVyLKE

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

Unmasking doesn’t mean I have to spew my unfiltered thoughts at every person, but when I do share, I share the truth. I share authentically.

#unmasking #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Why Autistic Masking Works For Your Benefit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHeb0Ik0TyM

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

It takes inner authenticity to be able to handle other peoples’ truths.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Autistic #unmasking #AutisticMasking #healthyrelationships

In some ways, unmasking created a lot more internal distress than when I was masking, because it was offering up more of my authentic self, and when that was rejected, it hurt more.

When I was offering up a mask, the rejection wasn’t as personal.

#AutisticMasking #unmasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Step One In Figuring Out What You Want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDcOjebz4BE&t=18s

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #Interoception

Ok, I'm going to try an experiment. I usually don't post a lot, mainly because I wonder if people really care what I think, think about or do, but perhaps that's just #AutisticMasking. So for the next few days (I'm just starting my long weekend), I'm going to try to break out of that, and try posting about most things I'm doing and thinking.

Fair warning: if you usually find me boring, annoying or irrelevant, you might want to mute me now...

We'll see how it goes - how I feel about it and how exhausting or otherwise. I'll try to post about that too.

#ActuallyAutistic #Maker #Arduino #LaserCutting #Linux #FreeBSD #SelfHosting

[Edit: forgot #3dPrinting ]

“Fitting in” behaviors become a problem when we routinely don’t, or no longer can, align our internal reality with what we present externally.

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD

For many of us, it’s really hard to know what we want, or even acknowledge that we have wants but I guarantee you that you have wants.

All humans want. We come into this world wanting. We want milk, connection, to be cared for, and to be comforted.

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #unmasking #Interoception

We mask to feel safe, not to hide who we are.

We hide who we are, because who we are is not safe in our current world.

If we want Autistic people to not mask so much, we need them to feel safe.

#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticMasking #autism #MentalHealth #neurodiversity

Autistic Masking isn't about acting less Autistic. It's about feeling safe in our environment. Sometimes this looks like being more obviously Autistic.

Some of us learn as small babies that there’s no point in crying because we won’t be answered, so we go quiet.

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticBurnout

Unmasking My Wardrobe Color Choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muRJEElbGnE&t=43s

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Sensory #AutisticMasking #unmasking #Interoception

Hot take:

Masking mostly only exists for the sake of neurotypicals' comfort, and letting them go about life without putting in any work interacting with neurodivergent people, allowing them to in the back of their minds basically pretend we don't exist.

It's a special accommodation for the majority.

Neurotypicals get all this accommodation, expect all this accommodation, for our mere existence, and we get none for our actual difficulties and disabilities. This is bad; it ought to be the other way around.

🕷️

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Autism #Masking #AutisticMasking #ADHD #ActuallyADHD #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent

Instead of, “I can’t unmask because no one will accept me,” what if it’s, “I must unmask because people already aren’t accepting this masked me?”

What if it’s, “I need to find out who will accept the real me.”

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

Most of us, to varying degrees, learn to suppress our wants in order to live around other people. Or, we become so convinced that our wants are inappropriate that we suppress them.

#AutisticMasking #AutisticBurnout #Sensory #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #Neurodiversity

Since I was largely following social scripts that I had learned before I knew I was Autistic, and would say things like, “I’m fine” when I didn’t mean it, or that I liked someone’s artwork when I really didn’t think it was that good:

I assumed that everyone else was being completely fake at all times, especially when they said that they liked me or valued me in any way.

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #unmasking