ADHD masking

Masking means working harder than others can see, rehearsing conversations, hiding disorganization, staying late to compensate, or performing focus you do not actually feel.

It often develops as a survival strategy: fit in, avoid criticism, keep jobs, maintain relationships. Over time, the gap between public competence and private exhaustion can become enormous.

Masking can delay diagnosis, deepen self-blame, and make burnout feel sudden when it was building for years.