Living Authentically and Unmasking Autism Can Come at a Cost

"Claney (2025) describes autistic masking as "a complex phenomenon in which autistic individuals consciously or unconsciously hide or modify their behaviors and traits to fit within societal expectations." Masking, Claney argues, takes a massive emotional toll on autistic adults and can be devastating to mental health. A substantial body of research supports these findings, with the entire neuroaffirmative movement as evidence of the psychological and physical costs of long‑term masking."

"I cited research such as the Beyond Zebrafish study (South and colleagues, 2021), which found that autistic adults who unmask and live authentically are less likely to experience chronic suicidal ideation or die by suicide. According to this research, autistic adults have three times the suicide rate of the neurotypical population, and autistic women have four times the rate. Those with co‑occurring mental health conditions face a 92 percent higher suicide rate than autistic adults without such conditions."

Autistic masking is a complex phenomenon in which autistic individuals consciously or unconsciously hide or modify behaviors and traits to fit societal expectations. Masking takes a massive emotional toll and can be devastating to mental health. A substantial body of research and the neuroaffirmative movement document psychological and physical costs of long-term masking. Unmasking can be transformative and support authentic living, but unmasking often involves grief and loss alongside relief. Research shows autistic adults who unmask and live authentically are less likely to experience chronic suicidal ideation. Autistic adults face higher suicide rates and substantial co-occurring mental health conditions, making survival in a neurotypical society extremely challenging.

Read at Psychology Today