Masking to self?

NAS84405 said:

Hopefully this is a simple question. Is it a feature of autism for someone to mask their emotions from him/herself?

Hello, if we have masked for so long or had our natural autistic emotional responses invalidated, then yes we can become distanced from how we feel. For example, you may no longer trust or hold space for your instinctive emotional responses because they were never understood/believed before. This why embracing our own autistic culture/identity (including the great emotional release that is stimming) is so important because it is our natural autistic way of being- we can become better ‘in tune’/connected with our autistic selves.

https://reframingautism.org.au/alexithymia-what-becomes-of-the-broken-hearted/?amp=1

I hope this helps.

NAS84405 said:

Hopefully this is a simple question. Is it a feature of autism for someone to mask their emotions from him/herself?

Hello, if we have masked for so long or had our natural autistic emotional responses invalidated, then yes we can become distanced from how we feel. For example, you may no longer trust or hold space for your instinctive emotional responses because they were never understood/believed before. This why embracing our own autistic culture/identity (including the great emotional release that is stimming) is so important because it is our natural autistic way of being- we can become better ‘in tune’/connected with our autistic selves.

https://reframingautism.org.au/alexithymia-what-becomes-of-the-broken-hearted/?amp=1

I hope this helps.

You make excellent points above, but if you would allow me to add in a cautionary adjunct to your writing for some folks who may read this - based on my experience....

Ausomely Autistic writes;  "This why embracing our own autistic culture/identity.....is so important because it is our natural autistic way of being- we can become better ‘in tune’/connected with our autistic selves...." + Number would like to add......"and for some, whilst suppression of autistic culture/identity is readily possible (and unknowingly automatic for some) it can cause REAL damage and EXISTENTIAL risk in  the long term.  I  discovered that I was autistic the hard way......mega burnout.....better to realise, acknowledge and accept AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE !"