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zeldapsychology
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05 Nov 2013, 8:19 am

Is it a challenge? To not let anxiety get to me depression or what people say or think of me I have to wear a mask sort of act like a psychopath!! !! It feels weird! Normal ME would cry have anxiety get upset with being yelled at etc. or feel bad over my sisters comments. But if I wear a mask and try to block it all out it's "Better" somehow. But I don't WANT to have to do THIS! It feels "better" yet weird!! ! Can anyone relate?



Codyrules37
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05 Nov 2013, 8:49 am

yes duh even if people don't realize it.

you should write your feeling in a notebook, then store it in a place only you can find. thats all i got



jenisautistic
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05 Nov 2013, 11:05 am

zeldapsychology wrote:
Is it a challenge? To not let anxiety get to me depression or what people say or think of me I have to wear a mask sort of act like a psychopath!! !! It feels weird! Normal ME would cry have anxiety get upset with being yelled at etc. or feel bad over my sisters comments. But if I wear a mask and try to block it all out it's "Better" somehow. But I don't WANT to have to do THIS! It feels "better" yet weird!! ! Can anyone relate?



the above is my life accept i can barely even put on a mask as much as i try people could just see right though me :( i don't know why or what kind of xray vision they have so i just end up being open which dosent work either .


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MakaylaTheAspie
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05 Nov 2013, 12:27 pm

I feel like taking my mask off for a while. :lol:

Most of us on here have some sort of crafted social mask that we may choose to use.


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naturalplastic
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05 Nov 2013, 12:34 pm

Welcome to the human race.

Everyone wears masks.



mbard
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05 Nov 2013, 1:12 pm

i have given this some thought recently. i know i developed different masks depending on who i am interacting with and where i am. A mask for school, one for work, one for family, ones for social situations with various people. i developed them to try and navigate the different situations and to try and blend in. it got maddening really, and i have begun the experiment of getting rid of my masks or at least trying to have less masks that i change between. i would like to get to the point where i feel like i can be more authentic with others.



BeggingTurtle
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05 Nov 2013, 5:40 pm

Normally at school or anywhere that isn't my house, I act like myself except for one thing: I act like Tourettes was never something I had.

I'm sorry, my tics are just so embarrassing that I'm constantly suppressing them. Once every few minutes, I look away, and scrunch up my face blink, or make a muffled noise.

This is why I'm a good actor; I deal with this every day.


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TheMegalomaniac
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05 Nov 2013, 5:45 pm

I lack most emotions but i can see where your coming from. I have many friends who pretend to be different people to avoid social anxiety. I even have a friend who literally wears a mask in public.



SirReality
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06 Nov 2013, 4:59 am

I have a systematic way of interacting with people, which in turn develops into several "masks."

Work, school and general novel situations. I'm most myself around close friends and family. I could be blatantly obvious about stimming and none of my friends would think twice about it (but it's an easy shot for my husband to poke fun at me, which is all in good humor :P)

Don't feel bad about having a mask because in reality most people do, we just have an extra layer to put on, so to speak.



pensieve
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06 Nov 2013, 7:12 am

Only one of Guy Fawkes.

I get a lot of attention from the police.


Besides that I'm way too impulsive and lacking awareness to wear the metaphorical mask. And if I do wear one it lasts all of 3 seconds before slipping off.


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Presgulo
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06 Nov 2013, 1:32 pm

I used to wear a big mask at high school. But now I'm in university I try to be myself as much as possible. But yeah, I'm still wearing a mask. And it's exhausting.



Sedentarian
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06 Nov 2013, 4:46 pm

I don't like masks because they are usually just made of paper and string and are just some art project. :roll:


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JitakuKeibiinB
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06 Nov 2013, 10:42 pm

Only for robberies.



Toy_Soldier
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06 Nov 2013, 11:23 pm

Life is pretty weird anyway. Whatever works is not a bad thing, including wearing the masks. But I did experience fatigue of a sort if I wasn't getting sufficient breaks when I could take it off.

Plus wearing the mask does teach you things I believe, or can. Like 'hey this unattractive NT behavior is kinda fun', and it allows you to gain acceptance. And acceptance gained by trying to learn/mimic someone's or a groups ways is not just an skill useful to Autistics. If you ever do serious traveling it can lead to very rewarding contacts.



gretchyn
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07 Nov 2013, 9:29 am

Quote:
Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)
We Wear the Mask

WE wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!


While this was written about the suffering of African-American slaves, one beauty of poetry is that it can resonate with many situations.

***DO NOT think that I am at all saying that Asperger's can be compared to slavery. No way. Don't even go there. I am simply sharing a poem that may be appreciated considering the title and subject of the post.***



Codyrules37
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07 Nov 2013, 9:46 am

yes this is what I wear everyday. Why does no one ever want me? I just wanna be friends. :cry:

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