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Have you ever been sitting somewhere with your partner, minding your own business, and out of the blue you hear, “ Are you alright?” You’re started by the comment. You’re just sitting on the couch, finally decompressing after a day of sensory assault at the office. You feel… fine. Maybe even relaxed.  "Nothing," you say. Because nothing is wrong. "Are you sure? You look upset" "I’m not upset. I’m just sitting here." "Well, you don't look  fine. You’re staring at the wall. You

Themes Across 3,105 comments on Social Media 1. Triggers for the Masking "Crash" and Burnout The comments strongly illustrate that late diagnoses often follow a significant life event that causes an individual's masking abilities to fail, leading to burnout. Common triggers include: Perimenopause and Menopause:  A very common theme is that hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause strip away the ability to mask. Some describe this as the ultimate burnout or note tha

If you’re like me, by the end of the day, you’re exhausted. It feels like you’ve run a marathon, even though you haven’t.  Your brain feels “fried”, you’re irritable, and you may accidentally snap at your family or pets for looking at you the wrong way. Or breathing.  All you want is silence and “alone time”. Peace and quiet. Dimmed lights. No other humans around.  As you sit in the dark, contemplating when (or if) you will emerge from your safe, dark cave, you question why i