Diego

“Walker notes that by never revealing their own needs or discomfort with other people, fawners spare themselves the risk of rejection. But they also fail to connect with people in any meaningful way. It’s a lonesome state to live in. It’s also deeply draining. Many masked Autistic adults struggle to balance full-time work with social lives or hobbies at all because maintaining a conciliatory mask for eight hours per day is just too labor intense to have energy for anything else.[55] The connections we do form may never feel satisfying or authentic to who we truly are, because they rely on us meeting people’s needs reflexively and always telling them what we think they want to hear.”
― Devon Price, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

“Self-stigma is heavy; people high in it experience reduced self-esteem and see themselves as less capable than other people, and they’re often afraid to seek help.”
― Devon Price, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

“Others neglect their physical needs because they’ve mentally detached from their bodies.”
― Devon Price, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity

“For masked Autistic people, knowing “too much” or thinking about something too deeply is seen as suspect. People find it calculating or creepy for us to put more effort into something they never grant a passing thought.”
― Devon Price, Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity