'ADHD burnout' is widely used to describe periods of profound exhaustion and reduced capacity after sustained effort or overload. It can be meaningful lived language even though it is not a formal diagnosis.

Asking for help can feel unexpectedly difficult after years of managing alone. Past criticism, expectations and deeply practised self-reliance can all become part of what an apparently simple request carries.

Looking fine from the outside can come at a cost. When ADHD difficulties are repeatedly hidden or compensated for, the effort may show up later as exhaustion, anxiety, reduced capacity or a need to recover in private.

Masking can begin as a practical way of meeting expectations and gradually become automatic. Over time, it may be hard to tell where deliberate coping ends and a well-practised way of moving through the world begins.

Appearing capable can hide a great deal of work. Planning ahead, checking, rehearsing, compensating and recovering may all sit behind an outward impression that everyday life is being managed easily.

ADHD masking describes the ways people may hide or compensate for difficulties so they are less visible to others. Some of these adaptations can become so familiar that they are difficult to recognise from the inside.