Hi @AcidMonster55
Thank you so much for your post!😁
Hearing comments like that is so frustrating! I'm AuDHD and was diagnosed last year due to my high masking. I am in the process of learning how to unmask and communicate to others my needs. It's definitely not an easy process and can be met with a lot of negative and unproductive comments.
Being neurodivergent is our whole personality and is everything we are. We cannot separate ourselves from our neurodivergence. People expect us to hide and mask our neurodivergence just to make them comfortable which is extremely unfair. For highly masked individuals, we have spent most of our whole lives hiding ourselves and our needs from others at the expense of our mental health.
My advice (which I am working towards as well) is to be proud of your neurodivergence and have confidence in sharing what you need/expressing yourself. This can be very challenging so this will take some time but it will be very worth it in the end. Remember that it is important to surround yourself with people who care about you and respect you. Also, I'm finding it so beneficial to communicate and interact with others who are neurodivergent! It makes me feel seen and understood, especially since I am still learning so much about myself. ReachOut is an amazing platform for that and you could even look around your local community for any support groups or special interest groups to meet people like you!😊
