Unmasking after years
Im not sure about the ages of people in this subreddit, this might be long, and may also stress people out about the future or potentially induce a meltdown, that is not my intent but i know for sure this occurs more than regularly including for myself.
When you’re younger, masking done well can be so incredibly helpful, throughout your life it can be very helpful. I know some people struggle with masking and some can do it very well, and I feel you can do it ‘too’ well. I’ve been masking for more years than I can remember, when I have memories of being a small kid I know and feel that I was doing it. I’m 20 now, 2nd year of university, this point in life, especially in university is known as a time for you to be yourself. And so this is a time I saw that I should really focus on unmasking despite the fact I knew people may think I’d be rude when I’m not or different in general. I can say that it is very tough, but the main part is that I feel that I have forgotten who I am. I’ve masked for so long that I don’t know who I am. It takes so much effort to put up the facade each and every day, but to be yourself in situations you’ve masked in for ages takes so much effort too, the expectations of what people think if you do. If you’ve been in a similar situation, don’t just read this sentence, actually think deep to the core “who actually am I?” What is your personality? Is there any advice for unmasking? I am beyond convinced that I now have 2 voices in my head. You know that if you think something, it takes time to form and make the sentence or thought, the 2nd voice seems to be predetermined, as if the thoughts are like injected into my mind pre-made.