As I’ve learned to unmask and be my authentic #ActuallyAutistic self, some people like me less, but I like me more. I think it was a worthwhile trade off.
Unmasking is great and worth it for us and others. I unmasked and removed a lot of “friends”. It's healthier for the everyday life without the mask. I would and can go back.
@Autistrain@atarifrosch@dramypsyd@actuallyautistic Again, I think it's the wisdom that comes with age. I've learned it's impossible to please everyone so why even try. You please someone only to piss off another. I just try to act with morality and integrity.
@housepanther@atarifrosch@dramypsyd@actuallyautistic I'm more mixed on this. The age plays a role for sure. I see a difference between late and early diagnosed autists in the perception of themselves and of autism. I'm generalizing here. Late diagnosed in my experience read more about autism to have a better knowledge of themselves. I'm often surprised by the lack of knowledge on autism in the early diagnosed group. It's like nobody told them about autism, neurodiversity. But, interestingly, the ones who have good knowledge in autism at a younger age don't mask. They know their limits, they know what they can do and why.
It's a question of age and maturity. But also a question of knowledge on the topic.
@housepanther@dramypsyd@actuallyautistic For me, it began when the found I'm an autist. I gain a lot of maturity and I know from where I came and where I go in the future. It wasn't me. I discovered my identity and my culture. I decided that it's my life and not the life of others.
@dramypsyd@actuallyautistic not the same but I went through a similar situation when I was diagnosed as bipolar; my life is better for the people who left and ones I never expected to show up and hold me. Be you, it's worth it
@dramypsyd@Julie@actuallyautistic
For me, an interesting question is: what's the difference between my behaviour in private and my behaviour in public? That's not a question I'm asking you to answer in public, but it provides a thread to tug on.
@dramypsyd@Julie@actuallyautistic the long journey through self acceptance is full of steps that look tiny until someone else asks you --sincerely-- how you're doing then during the infodump yo realize "oh, i've come further than i had noticed, huh"
@Julie@dramypsyd@actuallyautistic It's not an easy task. It takes a lot of time, and it's a step-by-step process. It's also to know your trauma. They influence the mask, as masking is partially a trauma response. With the time, you learn who you are, what you like and dislike, etc. You also know your sensitivities. The mask fall apart.
I can only write for my own experience to give examples. I learn my hypersensitivities and changed my environment with headphones for the noise or doing things like others, began to stim in public, stopped looking in the eyes, invest more time in my area of interest, and a lot more. At the end, your true self come out.
I understood the masking was gone when I had the same feelings as when I was a small child, my true self experience. The biggest difference is that now, I know from where I come and what did me masking. Masking is definitively too hard for me nowadays.
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