Chronic social masking, or camouflaging, involves suppressing autistic traits to appear neurotypical. For women diagnosed later in life, this sustained effort can lead to significant psychological and physiological exhaustion.
Psychologically, many women experience increased rates of anxiety, depression, and burnout. The constant monitoring of social cues and forced performance can lead to a fragmented sense of identity and profound loneliness. Many report feeling that no one truly knows the real version of themselves, which contributes to high levels of internal stress.
Physiologically, the impact is often linked to chronic activation of the stress response system. Continuous suppression of natural behaviors can lead to elevated cortisol levels, which is associated with systemic inflammation and sleep disturbances. This heightened state of autonomic arousal can result in chronic fatigue and sensory processing sensitivities becoming more acute over time.
Recognizing these patterns is a critical step in managing health. Moving toward a model of self-accommodation and finding supportive communities can help mitigate these cumulative effects by reducing the necessity for constant performance.
