YES. I am on the autism spectrum and this is a common thing for us. It’s called masking....acting a way you think will help you fit in or not draw negative attention to yourself. If I were to be my natural, autistic self in public, I would scare people as I have a dead-pan expression and have no capacity for em/sympathy. (Unless I am super close to that person). I also have ADHD, so masking is a huge drain on me, but unfortunately necessary so people aren’t offended. There is A LOT of pretending to be interested in what others are saying, not interrupting them when they’re boring me to tears and maintaining eye contact. Because those things are considered common courtesy, I do it, but IT IS difficult and draining for someone with ADHD and on the spectrum. People have NO idea how mentally exhausting masking is, but at the same time, they demand we act a certain way and so we’re stuck trying to create a balance in our lives...being ourselves and maintaining relationships.

Hopefully, one day, we’ll be accepted exactly as we are without the draining demands that maintaining relationships with normal people insist on.