Many questions around identity often come up for adults who have been masking their whole lives and discover later in life that they are Autistic.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, answer some of the questions sent to them from podcast listeners about identity and moving forward in life after autism discovery.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Hear answers to questions like, how do you know who you really are beyond the mask, can you still enjoy your masked life and live as your authentic self, are you defined by your autistic traits?
2. Understand the process of self-discovery and how it can manifest for different people, as well as some ways to express your newfound identity.
3. Learn strategies to reshape the way you structure your time, commitments, and priorities to protect your energy and live a more balanced life.

The process of self-discovery and learning can be challenging. You might feel grief that can arise from losing or feeling disconnected from the masked version of your life, but you also can experience a feeling of liberation as you explore the new version of yourself, and you’ll have the opportunity to understand and honor your needs.

Resources

What is Masking in Autism? Autistic Masking Explained (blog post): https://neurodivergentinsights.com/blog/what-is-masking-in-autism?rq=masking

Autistic Masking Workbook:

As a podcast listener, you can use this coupon code to enjoy a 25% discount on the individual workbook or the workbook for clinicians.

• For Personal Use, use coupon code: Unmasking25 here (https://neurodivergentinsights.com/neurodivergentstore/p/autistic-masking)
• For Clinical Use, use code: Unmasking25-Clinical here (https://neurodivergentinsights.com/neurodivergentstore/p/autistic-masking-therapy-resources)

——————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast here

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

——————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Hurricane Relief for WNC communities

This money will go to nonprofits who are boots on the ground. It will go to struggling individuals who do not have enough money for gas to get out, or who do not have enough money to provide their basic needs right now. Donate to Patrick's GoFundMe to help provide urgent aid for WNC communities affected by Hurricane Helene. Visit: atppod.com/wnc