ADHD can be loud on the outside, but for many people, it is even louder on the inside. A person may look calm in a meeting, smile through a family dinner, or turn in work that seems “fine,” while privately fighting a storm of racing thoughts, sensory strain, shame, and exhaustion. That effort to hide, suppress, or compensate for ADHD traits is often called masking. For some, it starts young. A child learns not to interrupt because adults call them rude. A teen learns to laugh
