Thread by @Saraheboon

This thread!

I started masking from about age 3/4. At first, I noticed I was treated with more respect and acceptance when I pretended to be like the other kids.

https://twitter.com/commaficionado/status/1353423039921352705

Short term this was successful for me, and I was in control as a young child. However, it didn't stay like this.

Social demands grow with age, the pressure to mask increases significantly. If I didn't mask, then I was exposing myself to harm and risking my safety.

As I wasn't told what masking was, I assumed that everybody did it. I just thought I was worse at it than other people (considering the effort and exhaustion I was experiencing from doing it).

By this point, my masking was automatic.

Once you get to this point, it's like you know how to be everybody but yourself.

Not knowing who you are and essential acting 24/7 when you're masking takes it toll, I had my autistic burnout at 23. I moved back in with my parents with no idea what to do with my life and an anxious wreck.

That was the start of me figuring out I am autistic. An autistic who had unmeet needs her whole life.

I didn't have to get to this point.

Sadly many late-diagnosed autistics don't get recognised until this point (many still don't and are misdiagnosed with MH problems which are not accurate).