# Masking - Done as a trauma response to not fitting in within [[Neurotypical]] dominated society ## Defined > In psychology and sociology, masking is the process in which an individual camouflages their natural personality or behavior to conform to social pressures, abuse, or harassment. > > -- [Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masking_(personality)>) ## Effects - Physical Exhaustion - Psychological Burnout - Depression - Anxiety - Suicidal Ideation - Hides exactly how profoundly disabled some Autistics are - Prevents [[Z/Autism|Autistics]] from really learning who they are and what their true self is like when they have to wear this alternative identity until the seams become nigh-impossible to locate ![[{ 2023-06-12 Unmasking autism discovering the new faces of neurodiversity#^f8afa2]]