Mastodawn

Masking isn't the same thing as being sensitive to other people. And being sensitive to other people isn't the same thing as masking.

There's a version of attunement — of being aware of someone, reading the room, adjusting how you show up — that isn't masking. It's just... being in relationship with another person.

Unmasking doesn't mean being insensitive. Those aren't the only options.

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

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mellowfish Mar 17

@hmm_cook I feel like this is one of the biggest misconceptions I see in our community. Building a relationship takes (continuous) work, and it is hard for NT people and harder for us. But it is also *worth it* and shouldn’t be skipped in the name of being authentic/unmasked Autistic humans. So many in my peer support group and other venues just seem to have given up on the idea that they need to put effort into relationships as a normal human experience.

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Heather Cook🖖Autistic Coach

@mellowfish Yes!

And it’s also a normal part of the process of coming to terms with your past and the things that hurt you, that your reactions will often swing to the other extreme for a while, before coming to rest in a more nuanced center. I definitely did that, and I see it in my clients consistently. And seeing that when we work through the old wounds and process things that need it, most people do consistently come to that center grounded nuanced place, I hold hope for a lot of these people that are currently in that pendulum swing part of the process. It’s not necessarily the end state.