they don’t wanna make the ppl around them feel uncomfortable
A big part of it is just that they get judged being their authentic self so they feel like they have no choice but to mask
If you frame it that way, that means they’re not the problem. The problem is Neurotypicals not being comfortable around neurodivergent people
to avoid stimming
we have fight flight and freeze. Sometimes autists hide their emotions and reactions which can sometimes be very damaging because that emotion will get consumed by their subconscious and they’ll need to find a way to release it in different ways or different moments
It needs to be released in the healthy mannerOtherwise, you will in some way Consume them
leads to autistic burnout
Breaking themselves down to be able to reconstruct themselves into a more socially acceptable person
How can they overcome masking? What can we do to allow them/empower them to let go of it? How can we make it less draining for them?
accepting themselves?
having more trust in themselves?
would the mask still be there around people they trust? And how easy is it for them to trust
they’re literally like mannequins
people pleasing & fawning
they like to ask other people questions because they believe that this is how they make others like them and feel safe around them. it’s a defence mechanism that helps them avoid talking about themselves
they could be assertive, but then when they are around people, they lose that assertiveness fully. And you feel like them feeling happy with the interaction, and feeling content while they’re interacting with you, is the most important thing, way more important than you.
Them feeling happy with the interaction is much more important than you being honest with your thoughts n opinions