Masking:

Masking, also called camouflaging, is behavior of those whose characteristics of difference — notably those with autism, ADHD, gender dysphoria, or who’re trans — cause them to suppress or hide their authentic selves to blend in a neurotypical (NT) world. It’s sometimes intentional, but more often it’s unconsciously adaptive to deal over time with stigma, negative feedback, discrimination, and abuse. Individuals learn to be how they think parents, teachers, and coworkers consider “correct,” like writing with their non-dominant hand. They may copy others’ demeanors or actions and engage in compensatory behaviors. Autism masking may also involve developing “scripts” that work in social situations. Masking is also used by narcissists to present a picture of wealth, status, or confidence, but beneath the mask they are unstable, fragile, antagonistic, or morally unaccountable. Also see De-Masking. Short term, masking can alleviate stress by helping to fit in and avoid being judged. Long-term, it can cause:

• Delayed diagnosis of suppressed behaviors, affecting care.
• Burnout from hiding natural self is emotionally, mentally, physically draining, leading to stress.
• Mental health challenges in masking adults are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.