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Different Personas

Damious
12 days ago

Hi,
I have a question about multiple personas. Do you think this could be related to ASD or ADHD? Is it something anyone else here does?


I’ve got a diagnosis of both ASD and ADHD and for as long as I can remember I’ve created personas for myself. And then I act out as these personas, say when I’m shopping, or when I’m having to go out of my comfort zone for whatever reason. I don’t think it’s that dissociative identity disorder. . . I’ve looked up the symptoms and I don’t suffer memory loss or anything like that. I’m aware I create these personas and know exactly what I’m doing. It feels more like when I was a child pretending to be someone else as a game. When I do this now I’m aware of it, aware of my personas, I just imagine I’m this different person. I guess it makes me feel better, less anxious when I’m out of my comfort zone.


So maybe it’s a comfort thing? I have suffered mentally previously after losing a loved one but I never had issues
with personalities or anything like this.
I was thinking about it today and put it more down to ASD or ADHD as I suffer with both. I’m curious if it’s something anyone else has experience of.

Parents
  • 12 days ago

    Interesting topic. I can say for myself, as a part of probably masking, I used to adapt someone else’s style, gestures, behaviour even interests to fit in and it made me feel better, like I finally stopped being the boring nerd and broken little girl, started being like others and hopefully belong somewhere. I heard that Adapting someone else’s personality or style of behavior is a part of ASD masking. If this is what you mean. But I also heard that it’s related to ADHD, so maybe I confuse something here or maybe it’s similar for both conditions as they share quite several traits. 

Reply
  • 12 days ago

    Interesting topic. I can say for myself, as a part of probably masking, I used to adapt someone else’s style, gestures, behaviour even interests to fit in and it made me feel better, like I finally stopped being the boring nerd and broken little girl, started being like others and hopefully belong somewhere. I heard that Adapting someone else’s personality or style of behavior is a part of ASD masking. If this is what you mean. But I also heard that it’s related to ADHD, so maybe I confuse something here or maybe it’s similar for both conditions as they share quite several traits. 

Children
  • 11 days ago in reply to Alienatedhuman

    I'm 87.5% confident, from the description that's what Damious, the poster,  means. There is copious material and help in understanding this.

    Another term I use is imposter syndrome: one does not linger long with relations as keeping track of myriad masks takes a great deal of energy, we think we will slip up and reveal who we really are (as close as we can come to knowing who that is.)

    So we skedaddle when we fear we are about to be revealed as an imposter., when we can no longer hold up the mask. I do not know any older people on the spectrum who do - or did - not do this. Young people on the spectrum do it too but it presents differently.

    The link I posted below says it all. this presenter is really a beacon in the fog for all of us.