Masking and Being a Neurodivergent Father

About this episode

The episode discusses the concept of masking in neurodivergent fathers and its impact on relationships and parenting.

Join Shane Thrapp of Creating Order From Chaos and Braden Young of Empower ADHD Solutions as we dig into masking—the pressure to perform a version of yourself that isn't really you to hide your ADHD or Autism. We talk about where masking starts (the "be a man" messages, the bootstrap CEO myth), how it shows up in our relationships and kills intimacy, and why we accidentally teach our kids to mask when we do it ourselves. Learn about the difference between strategic masking and masking out of fear, how to unmask safely with your partner without dropping it all at once, and why naming what's happening ("Dad's brain is having a loud day") teaches your kids more about emotional regulation than "I'm fine" ever will. Don't miss our conversation on how masking hits boys and girls differently, why emotions like sadness and overwhelm aren't "soft"—they're human, and how to break the cycle so your kids don't spend decades hiding who they are. You can find Shane Thrapp at www.creatingorderfromchaos.com You can find Braden Young at www.empoweradhdsolutions.com 00:18 Welcome to The DadDHD Podcast + Today’s Topic: Masking as Neurodivergent Dads 02:00 Where the Mask Starts: “Be a Man,” Don’t…

People in this episode

Host: Shane Thrapp

Guest: Braden Young

Topics covered

• masking
• neurodivergent fathers
• ADHD
• Autism
• emotional regulation
• intimacy
• parenting

Keywords

• masking
• neurodivergent
• ADHD
• Autism
• emotional regulation
• intimacy
• parenting
• relationships
• mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Creating Order From Chaos, Empower ADHD Solutions

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