It’s not Halloween, there’s no masquerade ball invite, and we didn’t catch a cold—so why are ADHDers masking?

*Ba dum tss!*

All jokes aside, masking—sometimes called “social camouflaging”—is when neurodivergent individuals hide or suppress their natural behaviors, traits, or tendencies to fit societal norms and expectations.

Across the neurodivergent community, some common examples of masking include:

• Suppressing stimming, like avoiding repetitive movements or motions.

• Mirroring social behaviors, such as copying facial expressions, gestures, or tone of voice.

• Forcing eye contact, even when it feels deeply uncomfortable.

• Hiding sensory discomfort (like noise, lighting, or certain textures).

• Rehearsing scripts for conversations to navigate social situations more easily.

But masking doesn’t just happen in social interactions.

What does masking look like when it comes to food and eating? How do social...