What Is ADHD Masking? (ADHD Glossary)
Masking (or camouflaging) is the conscious or automatic effort to hide ADHD traits and imitate neurotypical behaviour: suppressing fidgeting, forcing eye contact, triple-checking everything to hide forgetfulness, rehearsing spontaneity, laughing off missed deadlines while privately panicking.
Why people mask
Years of correction and judgment teach that the unmasked self attracts criticism (see rejection sensitivity). Masking is a survival strategy — often started so young it feels like personality.
The cost
Masking consumes enormous cognitive energy all day, every day. It is a major driver of ADHD burnout, and it delays diagnosis: clinicians and family see the polished surface, not the effort. This is one reason women — socialised harder toward compliance — are diagnosed later or missed entirely.
Unmasking, safely
The goal is not dropping every mask everywhere; it is choosing where the mask is worth its cost. Start where safety is highest (close friends, home), let small honest accommodations exist ("I take notes because I forget", visible timers, fidgeting freely), and notice how much energy returns. If masking has hidden your struggles from everyone including yourself, the private ASRS self-test is a good reality check.