Masking is the process of hiding emotional responses, sensory needs, and natural expressions to appear acceptable. Most ADHD women start masking long before diagnosis.

Masking is a survival strategy.

Why ADHD Women Mask

Criticism, social pressure, emotional dismissal, fear of rejection, punishment for sensitivity, and expectations for calm consistency.

What Masking Looks Like

Smiling when overwhelmed, managing your tone, hiding sensory overload, rehearsing conversations, suppressing needs, being the easy one.

Masking is exhausting and disconnecting.

What Most People Misunderstand

Masking is not manipulation or dishonesty. It is protective.

What Helps

1. Identify where you mask

Work, family, friendships, partnerships, social spaces.

2. Practice small unmasking

“I need a moment.”
Adjust the environment.
Share one need with someone safe.

3. Remove moral language

Masking is not weakness. Unmasking is not heroism. Both are adaptations.

The Flourish Way

Flourish approaches masking with compassion, awareness, and slow identity repair.

Want to explore more?

Flourish has a full workbook available.