NeuroDivine

🌱 Unmasking Myself: Life After My Autism Diagnosis

I was officially diagnosed as autistic in January 2024. But the truth is, I’d suspected it for years. There were signs—patterns in how I experienced the world, how I interacted, how I coped. I just didn’t have the language for it until recently.

For most of my life, I masked. I learned to hide the parts of me that felt “too much” or “too different.” I mimicked social norms, rehearsed conversations, forced eye contact, and tried to pass as neurotypical. It was like living behind a filter—always calculating, always performing.

Masking helped me survive, but it drained me. I didn’t realize how much energy it took until I started letting go of it. These days, I mask less. I allow myself to stim, to speak in ways that feel natural, to be quiet when I need to be. I let myself be autistic—openly, unapologetically.

It’s easier on my mental health. I feel more grounded, more honest, more me.

But unmasking isn’t always smooth. Sometimes people misunderstand me. They might think I’m being rude or distant or awkward. They don’t see the years I spent trying to fit in. They don’t realize that what they’re seeing now is me, finally being real.

I’ve learned that being misunderstood is a risk I’m willing to take if it means protecting my well-being. I’d rather be authentic and misread than polished and invisible.

If you’re on a similar path—whether you’re newly diagnosed, still exploring, or deep in the process of unmasking—I see you. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. You deserve to exist as you are, not as the world expects you to be.