Becoming Unmasked: Belonging Without Performing

What if the version of you everyone praises is also the version that’s wearing you out? In this episode of Backpacking Through ADHD, Tera talks about unmasking from a very real place—not as someone who has it all figured out, but as someone who’s been high-functioning for a long time and is starting to feel the weight of it. When you’re the capable one, the dependable one, the one who “gets it done,” it can be hard to admit how much effort it takes to look that put together. This conversation is about the desire to unmask. The longing to stop performing your way through your own life. The exhaustion that comes from perfectionism, overthinking, over-preparing, and carrying an invisible second job: managing how you’re perceived. You’ll hear a grounded, honest look at: What masking looks like for high-achieving women with ADHD Why it can feel so risky to be real, even when you want to be What belonging actually means when you’re used to earning your place Small, practical ways to begin unmasking without blowing up your life Song of the Episode: “Unwritten” — Natasha Bedingfield