Masking debt & autistic burnout

Posted on by Gregory Wood

By Embrace Autism

Very often, when I am over stimulated I get very tired mentally and have to go to a quiet spot. As a volunteer I only work 4 hours a day in order to keep from burning out. In social settings with lots of people I am over stimulated and I become very quiet or I leave the event early.  When I was working, at the end of my shift, I was so tired mentally that I would sit in my car before driving home.  Once home I would not come out of my apartment till the next day in order to recover and be ready for the next shift.  – Greg 

What is autistic ‘masking debt’?

Masking debt refers to the long-term cost of repeatedly hiding or overriding natural autistic responses (called masking/camouflaging) in order to meet expectations that were not designed for autistic people. This results in autistic burnout.

It is never a single act of masking that causes harm, but the cumulative effect of doing it over many years. When it hits, many autistic adults describe the same moment: Why can’t I do what I used to be able to do?

Tasks that once felt manageable suddenly aren’t. Working, socializing, keeping up with daily life, or tolerating sensory demands can start to feel overwhelming or impossible. This loss of capacity can feel shocking, especially when those abilities felt stable for years. read more

Offering support in Ghana

Posted on by Gregory Wood

by Greg Wood

In 2018 I attended an educational program called Semester at Sea. I went as a lifelong learner. One of the ports we stopped at was Ghana. One day I went on a field trip to a local village. We were to have an African naming ceremony and the program included dancing and singing.

After the event we were told we could walk around the village. As I started to walk around, 3 boys came up to me. They seemed interested in my iPhone. As we walked towards some of the houses, one boy asked me to buy him a bike.  Another older boy came up to me and said he wanted to go to high school.  He told me that both his parents were dead.  In Ghana, families pay for school and uniforms. I knew nothing would happen unless I spoke to the village Chief. He approved me purchasing the bike for the kid. When we spoke about the teenager, Ibrahim his comment was Ibrahim is very lazy with no ambition. We agreed that I could pay for the school fees for Ibrahim and the Chief would monitor his grades. Ibrahim graduated from high school and now wanted to go to college.  Again, I agreed to another 4 years of financial support which at times tested my patience.  I paid his school and housing costs.  Many times after I paid Ibrahim my agreed upon budget, he came back tome with other expenses. His phone broke, his computer broke, etc.  He did not want to hear I could only afford school and housing. They wear you down till you give something. I was grateful the I was able to work through the staff at the University. I was able have some financial structure in place, otherwise it would drive me crazy.

In 2025 I went on my second semester at sea voyage.  Again a stop in Ghana.  This time I managed to meet Ibrahim at a Western Hotel in downtown, grown and now wanting to get a masters degree. He majored in Property management.  

He got a job after graduation with the government, and of course I had to pay the contact at the university who paid the hiring manager to give him a job. Now he is getting a masters degree and paying most of the cost himself.  During the past 8 years my message to Ibrahim has been to go back and do something for your village. Since I never had kids of my own, this was a great experience to somehow make a difference in someone’s life.