Is ‘masking’ in ADHD mainly about behaviour or also about hiding emotions?

In practice, masking in ADHD almost always involves both behaviour and emotion, even though people tend to talk about the behavioural part more openly. Behavioural masking is the most visible. Adults describe forcing themselves to sit still, monitoring how much they talk, suppressing fidgeting, making eye contact, double-checking emails, or over-preparing so they don’t appear scattered. This kind of masking is often learned early, especially by people who were repeatedly corrected or told to “try harder.” Emotional masking is just as significant, and often more exhausting. Many adults with ADHD work very hard to hide frustration, overwhelm, boredom, rejection sensitivity, or emotional reactivity. They may smile through meetings while internally panicking, downplay how overstimulated they feel, or suppress emotional responses to avoid being seen as “too much.” Over time, this creates a constant gap between how they feel and how they present. When I talk about masking with adult patients, I frame it as an adaptation, not a flaw. Masking usually develops because it worked. It helped someone stay employed, avoid criticism, or fit in socially. The problem isn’t that people learned to mask, it’s that doing it nonstop comes at a cost. Chronic fatigue, irritability, emotional numbness, and after-work crashes are often signs of long-term masking. Clinically, we explore where masking is protective and where it’s draining. The goal isn’t to unmask everywhere or all at once. It’s to reduce unnecessary masking and build environments where less of it is required. Many adults feel relief just realizing they’re not “failing at adulthood,” they’ve been performing it. Understanding masking helps patients be more compassionate with themselves and make choices that support sustainability, not just survival.