Unmasking: Like Taking Off a Bra… But for Your Personality

The Exhausting, Mind-Melting, Identity Crisis-Inducing Journey of Learning to Be Yourself

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What They Don’t Tell You About Unmasking

Unmasking sounds liberating, right? Like taking off a tight pair of jeans at the end of the day. Except instead of relief, you get a full-body existential crisis.

I don’t mean just feeling a little tired. I mean the kind of exhaustion where you could probably sleep for a century and still wake up groggy. The kind where you drag yourself through the workweek like a zombie in a motivational seminar. The kind where your home starts looking like a "before" picture in a cleaning commercial, not because you don’t care, but because folding laundry requires the energy of a thousand suns.

And despite all this, your brain still won’t shut up. Oh no, it’s got thoughts to share at 3 AM, mostly about that one awkward conversation from three years ago.

Shedding the facade, one fall at a time. 💫 #TruthUnveiled #LetItDrop #NoMoreMasks

What is Masking?

Masking is, at its core, a form of acting—except there’s no red carpet, no Oscar nomination, and definitely no paycheck. It’s the art of suppressing parts of yourself to fit into social norms, much like how we pretend to love small talk at office parties.

Examples of masking include:

• Smiling and engaging in small talk even when you’d rather yeet yourself into the void.

• Forcing yourself to maintain eye contact like a malfunctioning robot. Did you know you literally cannot look at both eyes on another person at once? So where is everyone looking?

• Mimicking social behaviors to fit in, even if you’d rather be left alone with your book and a snack.

• Suppressing stimming (self-soothing behaviors) in public so people don’t look at you like you’re a cryptid.

While masking can help you survive social situations, it’s like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound—doesn’t really solve the problem, just hides it temporarily.

The Hidden Disadvantages of Masking

When you mask for long periods, you hide so much from the world—and from yourself. Over time, this leads to fun things like:

• Depression – Because pretending to be someone you’re not all the time is an absolute hoot.

• Anxiety – The constant pressure to maintain a facade turns every interaction into a mental gymnastics routine.

• Chronic Illnesses – Because your body eventually throws in the towel and says, "Welp, good luck with that."