Ways I Mask As A Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person
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- Опубликовано: 2 апр 2024
- Hi! This video is all about the ways I mask as a late-diagnosed autistic person. Enjoy and subscribe if you'd like to follow me on this journey :)
Timestamps:
16:51 1. Acting funny/joyful even if I don't feel like that
18:35 2. Forcing eye contact
21:42 3. Forcing 'back and forth' conversations
23:57 4. Repressing the urge to talk about my interests
26:10 5. Pretending to be interested
27:35 6. Repressing my stemming
30:20 7. Being hyper-aware of my every move
31:27 8. Forcing facial expressions/voice tone
36:35 9. Ignoring my needs
39:45 10. Keeping my opinions to myself
41:43 11. Not sharing my autistic struggles
43:40 12. Wearing things I'm not comfortable in
45:28 13. Forcing standing/sitting positions
46:34 14. Pretending to understand when I don't
Autistic masking definition from the National Autistic Society - www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-....
Cat Q Autistic Masking Test - embrace-autism.com/cat-q/
'14 Things That Make Up My Autistic Masking - Part 1' - • 14 Things That Make Up...
'Re-Learning to 'Stim' As a Late-Diagnosed Autistic' - • Re-Learning to 'Stim' ...
'My Experience With Special Interests' - • My Autistic Special In...
'Getting My Autism Diagnosis! (ft. Live Footage From My Assessment)' - • Getting My Autism Diag...
'Childhood Trauma as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person' - • Childhood Trauma as a ...
'Cozy Cabin Ambience - Rain and Fireplace Sounds at Night 8 Hours for Sleeping, Reading, Relaxation' - • Cozy Cabin Ambience - ...
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yeah I can relate with you. lower social drive -> masking primarily for the purpose of fading into the background (rather than fitting in with others). I'm not professionally diagnosed but hadn't heard so much mention of those things though I realized that in myself and others
50+ yo undiagnosed. I'm an expert masker to the point that I suspect I never will be diganosed, but we'll see, I did start flapping my hands the other day when stressed out, which was unexpected. I'm not sure I can unmask and I definitely have very little idea of who I am. I appreciate your authenticity a lot of it really rings a bell for me. I also have a hard problem (which is to say I never do) with keeping my mouth shut in the face of inequality. Thank you.
Yes, socializing is exhausting. I agree with everything you said
I can now understand why I was masking i did. Couldn't fit in, i was bullied school. I must have been happy when i was very upset. I cover up my true feelings. I felt rejected by school kids and family. I recognise what your video is about.
Thank you so much for making this video. ❤ So much was recognizable for me, and I love your style of just calmy and honestly talking through these things, no music or distractions.
You're so welcome! Thank you 🙏
Yes agree about pointless social interactions. Boardgaming is my special interest, I even built a games room, and it really helps me to socialize, because as you say there is then a point to socializing. I am an autistic person and your experiences sound very similar to mine to be honest. I am 49 and only recently undersood who I was and that I had been masking most of my life.
22:00 you have described exactly what I do. This does become a bit of an issue for me though, especially at work. I’m in a factory so it’s loud and no one can hear me but I’m constantly vigilant of where people are so I’m not noticed.
Thank you for explaining about masking.
When you talk about your childhood, I can really feel how you felt as i was bullied and mocked, and most of the time, i perfer my own company. Please i would like some guidance. I am very new to realisation that i am possibly autistic. The tests I've done say yes.
That’s a good start ♥️ I would advise doing research online, watching content from autistic people, and if you feel like you might be autistic and would like to know for sure, get in touch with your doctor to discuss this and get referred for a diagnosis. You’ll be okay, this is positive! 👍
You're the first person I've heard talking about autism and neighbours. Having neighbours causes me SO much anxiety, it's really very overwhelming. I could watch videos about that all day long. Thanks for sharing x
Sitting in a physical meeting can be hard, especially when I don't know everyone. I need to stim a lot to consentrate.
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I've always wondered what relaxed feels like. ugh, all the overcompensation and fawning humor. your story is my story, except I don't like to talk a lot.
For me it depends how I’m feeling lol, if I’m energised, relaxed and in a good mood I’ll talk a lot, but if I’m not doing too well it can be painful to talk 😭
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To me, a diagnosis isn't exciting or interesting or validating. The last thing I'd want to hear is something is wrong with me. I hate the idea of labels, whether they are stigmatizing or accepted by society. While a diagnosis or label could benefit us if it's accurate, we have to be aware of the limits that labels can impose on us if we start to conform to them, and this is a common problem. We can become what others say we are, which can be good or bad.
I'm starting to believe many autistic people, and those misdiagnosed are the normal people of the world. Humans were never designed to live like this. This masking, low social drive; it's a totally normal reaction to never being more than 10 feet away from people 24/7 365. Some people are just different, and shouldn't that be celebrated? Instead we make a name for it.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I can honestly say that getting diagnosed saved my life and was extremely exciting and validating. A lot of late-diagnosed autistic people feel the same way. Also, getting an autism diagnosis doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you, it simply gives you an explanation as to why you felt so different and were ostracised and felt like you could never be truly yourself around others. It’s actually the opposite of what you said; you felt like there was something wrong with you your whole life, until you discover that you simply function differently than most people and there’s nothing wrong with you. You thought you were a dysfunctional neurotypical, until you realise you’re a perfectly functional neurodivergent. It gives you permission to stop trying to be someone you’re not at the expense of your mental health (which is what masking is). It gives you permission to be true to yourself and treat yourself more kindly. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me and without it I’m not sure how much longer I would have survived 👍
Good for you, but I do not agree and I won't go into details as that seems like it would be mean.
Sorry i keep commenting lol but I just wanna say literally everything you are saying is me.
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