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[seapicklesupremacy]

 I don't have autism, but I get masking fatigue

What does it mean? 

Comments

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

There are many ways that society can be a poor match for someone's nature. This often causes people to present a persona that is not their true self. It comes with a high cost.

One term for this is Prolonged Adaptive Stress Syndrome. That version was originally intended for type falsification, related to pretending to be a different personality type and doing tasks suited to that type, which is exhausting. But people have since noticed that it applies to trans people pretending to be cis, gay people pretending to be straight, neurodiverse people pretending to be neurotypical, introverts pretending to be extroverts, and so on.

Also, autism isn't the only type of neurodiversity. Other types may experience similar pressures to "fit in" or "be normal" and, eventually, suffer burnout. Some references:

https://boren.blog/2021/03/21/type-integrity-falsification-of-type-prolonged-adaptation-stress-syndrome-masking-and-burnout/

https://web.archive.org/web/20190812193222/http://arlenetaylor.org/articles-monographs/taylor-articles/adapting/7-prolonged-adaptive-stress-syndrome-pass

So you might think about ways in which you differ from average, that make it hard for you to meet other people's demands. If masking fatigue sounds like what you are experiencing, then it is likely that the same or similar solutions would be worth trying to see if those help for you. Common elements include but are not limited to:

* Acknowledge your true self, even if that is only safe in the privacy of your own mind.

* If your nature is disapproved by your culture, then you may also need to work on self-acceptance and self-love.

* When feasible, do things that express your nature.

* As much as is safe for you to do, seek the company of others like yourself and those who are comfortable with your true self.

* Try to reduce the amount of time you spend around people intolerant of your nature, doing things that are difficult, uncomfortable, or exhausting because they do not suit you.

* Look for opportunities to do more of the things that feel good and right to you, which you are good at doing. A career in this area is most beneficial, but a hobby, volunteer gig, etc. may also work.

I wish you luck with it.