When Masking Becomes a Relationship Strategy with Dr. Sharon Saline

About this episode

Dr. Sharon Saline discusses the concept of masking in relation to ADHD and its impact on relationships and self-perception.

--- Join the Declutter Challenge! Registration is now open through May 15! https://takecontroladhd.com/declutter --- If you've ever spent an entire day performing a version of yourself that felt nothing like the real you — holding it together at work, seeming calm when you're not, passing as organized — you already know something about masking. But knowing it and understanding it are two different things. Dr. Sharon Saline returns to help Pete and Nikki unpack what masking actually is: hiding traits, suppressing impulses, and overcompensating to appear more polished than you feel. It's a coping mechanism that can be useful, but for adults with ADHD, chronic masking carries real costs — increased anxiety, emotional exhaustion, a growing disconnect between who you show the world and who you actually are. One of the most important distinctions in this conversation is the difference between masking and presentation. We all show up differently in different contexts — there's a version of you at work, with close friends, with your partner. That's not masking; that's healthy. Masking is specifically about hiding, about a core sense of deficiency that says if people see the real me…

People in this episode

Hosts: Pete, Nikki

Guest: Dr. Sharon Saline

Topics covered

• masking
• ADHD
• social anxiety
• emotional exhaustion
• relationship strategies

Keywords

• masking
• ADHD
• social anxiety
• emotional exhaustion
• imposter syndrome
• perfectionism
• relationship strategies

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