Masking: When People ‘camouflage’ Themselves To Be Accepted
What is masking and why does this behavior happen? What mental health disorders and issues may be prone to masking? Find out how it can affect you.
Masking is a behavior that refers to when a person tries to hide their symptoms, attitudes or the difficulties they are experiencing due to a mental health problem. Although in most cases, masking happens intentionally, often this can occur even unconsciously when the person receives negative comments due to their behavior. Many people tend to relate the masking with different diagnoses of psychological problems that they do not want to show. But why does this behavior arise?
He masking, also called masking, occurs when a person tries to hide the symptoms of a mental health problem. This attitude can lead the person in this situation to try to ‘copy’ the behavior of other people who he considers more socially ‘adapted’.
When people do masking, their objective is to try to adapt to social groups or adopt a series of ‘compensatory’ behaviors. All this in order to give the impression to others that you are not experiencing a mental health symptom or dealing with it. In this way, people end up presenting themselves to others in the way they consider ‘correct’, that is, masking their own authenticity.
What does masking look like?
The neurodivergent people Those who mask their conditions tend to do so by trying to imitate the behaviors of neurotypical people. Therefore, they try to assimilate with their friends, siblings or family. Taking this into account, some of the attitudes associated with masking are the following:
Mentally rehearse: This may mean developing mental schemas to adapt to social environments, such as imagining entire conversations before having them.
Eliminate some attitudes: Some people may try hard to hide behaviors such as repetitive movements, even though they find them relaxing.
Force eye contact: Even though it may seem unnatural or uncomfortable.
Have stereotypical responses: That is, have some answers prepared to questions or small talk so as not to have problems in these situations.
Minimize some interests: Some people may end up not talking about what really interests them.
These may be some signs that may indicate that a person is masking.
Why do neurodivergents mask?
Mainly, people can do masking due to the following reasons:
Social acceptance: Neurodivergent people may do masking to try to fit in and conform to these social expectations, this involves trying to avoid judgment, exclusion or negative reactions from others. That is, they do it in order to meet the specific expectations of society.
Fear of stigma and discrimination: Many people may try to ‘protect themselves’ from possible discrimination, harassment or marginalization by masking.
Desire for success and personal fulfillment: Some neurodivergent people may feel pressure to excel academically or professionally. Therefore, they may try to discourage these traits that stand out from being socially successful.
What conditions are associated with masking?
Different mental health disorders or problems are commonly associated with masking behaviors Some of the most common are the following:
Depression: People who suffer from a depressive disorder can often hide their symptoms, such as sadness, hopelessness, guilt, or lack of interest. That is, they may appear cheerful in social contexts even though they experience significant internal distress.
Anxiety: Those who suffer from anxiety disorders may mask their symptoms to avoid worrying others. For example, they may avoid talking about their mental worries.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): People with PTSD may mask their traumatic experiences as well as associated symptoms. This may involve avoiding talking about or acknowledging the trauma, as well as suppressing emotions related to it.
Substance abuse: Those dealing with a substance abuse disorder may try to hide their addiction at all costs despite all the effects it may have.
Autism: People on the autism spectrum may often use masking as a coping mechanism to meet social expectations.
ADHD: In the same way that happens with autism, people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder may end up masking to try to avoid being the center of attention due to their symptoms.
High capacities: Some people with high abilities may avoid standing out or masking some of their abilities so as not to clash in a social group.
These are some of the most common problems that people can experience. use masking
How does masking affect?
When the people perform masking very often this can affect your mental health in the following aspects:
Stress and exhaustion: Masking requires constant effort, so it can make people feel stressed and exhausted when in a social context.
Social anxiety: People who consistently mask may experience more social anxiety due to fear of being exposed or judged for their differences by others.
Social isolation: Masking can end up making people prefer to put aside their social relationships due to all the effort it requires.
Low self-esteem: Masking can end up affecting the self-esteem of the people who do it, even if it is intentional or unconscious. This is because by having this attitude, we can be focused on the fact that we have something ‘wrong’ that we must correct, when in reality this is not the case.
Worsening mental health conditions: People who mask their symptoms or problems may end up being even more affected by them. This is because by not communicating or reflecting them, they can end up leading to other mental health problems such as depression, chronic stress or anxiety.
When faced with masking, it is important to keep in mind that we must recognize this behavior to be able to address it. By being aware of this, people can seek professional help and deal with their symptoms. Still, we must keep in mind that it is normal for people to worry about stigma or discrimination from others. But, despite this, masking will only prevent us from feeling authentic, which can cause greater discomfort over time. It is important that if you think this is happening to you, you consult with a professional who can evaluate it and give you the tools to correct it.
