🌈 The Comedian Mask · ADHD Harmony™

🌈 The Comedian Mask

AKA My Emotional Support Microphone 🎤

So apparently one of my core ADHD coping strategies is… stand‑up comedy.Not on a stage, mind you — just in life. Constantly - like my nervous system went, “Feelings? Vulnerability? Absolutely not. Quick, tell a joke before anyone notices you’re human.”

Psychology calls this “self‑protective humour” — a fancy way of saying we learned early that if we make people laugh, they’re less likely to notice we’re overwhelmed, confused, or quietly spiralling.

Honestly, my school reports should’ve just said:

“Finishes tests early because she spent the first 20 minutes entertaining the row behind her.”
“Talks too much — but at least she’s funny.”
“If she put as much effort into maths as she does into comedic timing, she’d be unstoppable.”

And the classic:“Debra is easily distracted… by her own jokes.”

But here’s the thing:The comedian mask worked. It kept me safe. It helped me belong. It softened the edges of a world that often felt too sharp.

Now, as grown ADHD zebras, we get to ask: Is this mask still protecting me — or is it hiding me?

💬 Your turn, fam:

When you were younger, what “funny kid” comments showed up in your school reports — and do you think humour became one of your masks too?

Let’s compare notes and see who else graduated from the Academy of Accidental Class Clowns 🎓🐓

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