Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 16, 2026 · 47 MIN

Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back

from Meet My Autistic Brain · host The Autistic Woman™

Unmasking is an ongoing process of noticing when we’re performing, deciding what serves us, and making gradual adjustments, according to Essy Knopf therapist and author of “Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back”. Essy shares his autism diagnosis at 25 and later recognition of ADHD, highlighting how masking and non-stereotypical presentations delayed identification. In this conversation Essy shares about:Internalized ableism Conditional self-worth Burnout, and The difficulty of forming authentic connections while performing for acceptance. This episode offers a grounded discussion of identity, self-advocacy, and living more intentionally as a neurodivergent adult.Book: Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back Website: https://essyknopf.comCheck out Essy's YouTube channel Essy on InstagramSupport the showRATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected], PayPal, PatreonLinktreeEmail: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 16, 2026

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Unmasking is an ongoing process of noticing when we’re performing, deciding what serves us, and making gradual adjustments, according to Essy Knopf therapist and author of “Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back”. Essy shares his autism diagnosis at 25 and later recognition of ADHD, highlighting how masking and non-stereotypical presentations delayed identification. In this conversation Essy shares about: Internalized ableism Conditional self-worth Burnout, and...

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Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back

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