For Many Autistic Women, High Masking Leads to Long-Term Burnout
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Illustration by Julie Bang for Verywell Health
Fact checked by Nick BlackmerFact checked by Nick Blackmer
Key Takeaways Masking allows neurodivergent individuals to fit in socially, but it often leads to burnout and loss of identity.Autistic women may experience more pressure to mask, which can result in emotional exhaustion and hinder diagnosis.Masking helps in certain situations but can exacerbate feelings of inauthenticity, anxiety, and depression over time.
For autistic women who often "mask" their behaviors to avoid uncomfortable social situations and stigma, everyday interactions can start to feel like an exhausting performance.Ashra Piterman, 26, a content creator based in Boston, said the extent of her masking sometimes makes her question which part of her feelings or behaviors is real."For example, laughing at someone’s joke, but not even knowing if I truly find it funny or saying I like something then but then realizing I’m not sure,” Piterman told Verywell.Many autistic women like Piterman use social media to share their experiences, often highlighting how masking strains their well-being and causes serious emotional consequences.Masking, also known as camouflaging in the autistic community, involves hiding autistic traits or behaviors to fit in at work or in social settings. This can range from changing the way one speaks to modifying body language. Some people also report copying phrases, expressions, and fashion styles to mimic others more accurately.Masking isn’t exclusive to autistic individuals—many neurotypical people also mask to some extent in social or professional settings. Similar to how someone might avoid using curse words at work, an autistic person may alter the way they naturally present themselves. However, for autistic individuals, masking can sometimes feel like the only way they can socialize or keep a job.
Related: Women and Girls With Autism: How Autistic Traits May Differ
High Masking vs. Low MaskingIn the past, terms like high functioning or low functioning were used to describe autistic individuals. However, these labels are now considered inaccurate and overly simplistic, as they fail to capture the diverse experiences within the autism community.“We’ve really tried to move away from that because it’s kind of insulting, not only for the people who are ‘high functioning,’ but also people who are not ‘high functioning.’ It’s a big judgment in terms of their lived experience,” Emily Casanova, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Loyola University, told Verywell.Today, the terms high masking and low masking are preferred because they better reflect the complexities of how autistic people adapt to their surroundings.A person who is high masking may show few or no traits typically associated with autism, allowing them to appear neurotypical. This can often be a coping strategy for navigating social settings or professional environments.
Related: Understanding the Three Levels of Autism
What Are the Potential Consequences of Masking? A systematic review published in 2024 suggests masking or social camouflaging can help autistic individuals build relationships, avoid bullying, and achieve professional or interpersonal goals, but it often leads to feelings of inauthenticity and superficial connections.“A pretty consistent finding across the board is that many autistic people report a loss of identity as a result of masking," said Jessica Klein, a co-author of the paper and a research assistant at the Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Lab at York University in Canada.While masking can offer many social and interpersonal benefits, it often has negative impacts on a person’s self-image and identity.For autistic individuals, unmasking isn’t always a safe option, as it can jeopardize their relationships and careers. The strain of masking for long periods can be exhausting, harming not only someone’s physical well-being but also their self-perception.Piterman said high masking for her goes beyond typical social adjustments. She begins to question which of her feelings and behaviors are authentic and which are manifestations of her hiding her truth. It’s harder to tell where the edges of the mask stop.Research has found that increased masking behaviors are associated with higher rates of interpersonal trauma, anxiety, and depression. While burnout manifests differently from person to person, autistic burnout can span across months or years, limiting their participation in work, school, and social activities, affecting autistic individuals across their entire lifespan, and directly impacting their quality of life.
Related: Differences in Diagnosing Autism in Girls and Boys
How Does Masking Lead to Burnout in Autistic Women?Piterman said the biggest factor contributing to her burnout is “socializing and being around other people.”Everyday interactions like running errands and talking to a cashier require much more effort for people on the spectrum. For example, grocery shopping involves extensive planning and organization, making the process overwhelming, Piterman said. On top of managing all these details, there’s also the added effort of masking.According to Casanova, autistic women mask more frequently than men.“Autistic women more readily attempt to meet societal expectations of ‘acceptable behavior’ through camouflaging or masking compared to their male counterparts,” Casanova said.While further research is necessary, this may be why more autistic women are undiagnosed. “People still know there may be something different about the girl or woman, but they may have difficulty putting their finger on exactly what that difference is,” she added.Masking may involve suppressing behaviors like stimming—repetitive physical movement, sounds, or phrases—while mimicking socially acceptable behaviors to appear “normal.” This constant suppression can be exhausting, especially for individuals who mask frequently.“There’s this exhaustion hanging over me that is preventing me from engaging and showing up the way that I typically can, and with burnout, there’s often a lot of skill regression involved,” Piterman said.While Piterman enjoys being busy, burnout leaves her with little on her to-do list—even simple tasks might feel overwhelming and take longer to complete.“For someone that’s already having to modify themselves so much for society, it’s a layer of exhaustion on top of all those modifications we already have to make, so it’s like it’s compounded,” Piterman added.
Related: 12 Signs of Burnout: How to Tell and What to Do About It
How to Prevent and Recover From Burnout Finding a balance between authenticity and positive social interactions can be exhausting. Autistic women often struggle to get their diagnosis, especially as adults. Access to healthcare and insurance, along with financial barriers, can make getting adequate care even more challenging.Resources like “Unmasking Autism” and content created by autistic creators can help individuals explore when masking is helpful or harmful for them, but dealing with burnout remains a very personal experience.Comfort is what helps Piterman work through feelings of burnout. Low sensory environments and relaxing activities like reading and drawing might help some people recuperate. For Piterman, it’s watching the TV show “Girls” on repeat, staying home, taking walks, and doing minimal work that helped her recover during a long period of burnout.Casanova added that sometimes it might just involve sitting and staring into space.“A lot of people have this growth mindset of ‘you have to get out of your comfort zone in order to grow and excel,’ and I feel really frustrated by that because that’s not the case for everyone,” Piterman said. “It’s actually when I’m pushed out of my comfort that I feel debilitated by the world around me and by my internal world.”
Read Next: How Adults Can Get Tested for Autism
What This Means For YouIf you’re neurodivergent and feel overwhelmed by masking, it’s important to recognize when it causes burnout. Balancing social expectations with self-care is essential. Finding supportive environments and taking breaks from masking when possible can help maintain well-being and prevent exhaustion.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
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