Do you put on a mask at work?

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29 never held a job but have a Criminal Justice Bachelor degree. My interest in school were the serial killer videos we did and text on murder serial killers and profiling but turning OMG! killers are neat into a socially appropriate job I'm drawing a blank without people thinking I'm crazy.

I've questioned IF IF! I ever got a CJ job in the above put on a mask and smile and just do the work but how long and can I? Before you are asked Eww this is gross and I say "Oh neat" I'll be fired or sent to some shrink!! !

I don't want to have to put on a mask DAILY IMO it seems it would be too stressful so I was wondering does anyone else here do it and how? My "mask" is How would X character deal with this situation? But then what, do you lose your sense of self and are the character too much or not enough and you finally crack under the pressure and cry and have your normal depression stress anxiety??? Please help!

Tony Atwood is talking and advising about the "Aspergian Mask" and the exhaustion that comes with it in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vYQ5gDtbTw

The Danish girl and her video Atwood is referring to is probably this one from TheAnMish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFxWdpuyY6o
I found it so touching and telling that with me, too, her intensely desperate and way too self-controlled expression always pops up in my mind when it comes to AS and anxiety.

In the medium and long run, it is in fact useful, to get to know yourself better, and to develop your own identity, once you have more your own personality, the mask effect will diminish, and will feel more flexible, and become more and more like your own skin. Remember that NT children do quite a lot of role playing and very intensely in their toddler years, and Aspergers have done much less, so try to develop some kind of playful approach with trying out different personalities, maybe less at work (you should inform your colleagues if you want to do it with them) and with more boldness in a different setting (LARP, some "personal development group", playing with children); you could also try out any form of "artistic" expression (writing here or in a journal/blog, painting, pottery, music, performances).

It is amazing how many Aspergers are interested in Criminal Justice. Or in fact, it is not THAT amazing. I am very sure that people in the justice system are mostly on the spectrum. And I am not comfortable with this, because this overrepresenation of Asperger light comes with a clear lack of cognitive empathy in the justice system. Then I actually believe that it would be good to have much more mixed teams in criminal justice, with different kind of spectrumites and more (!) very typical NTs. Maybe you sense that, too, and this is holding you back a little, too.

You should ask yourself also how much you felt attracted to Criminal Justice, because of your own affinities to both: to the people working in the field (real life people, and fictional ones: figures like Sherlock Holmes plus the repsective authors and actors have often an undeniably autistic touch) as well as to the subject itself (you probably know that autism expert Prof. Michael Fitzgerald has tried to delimit a subgroup of autism spectrum disorders called criminal autistic psychopathy?). Not being aware of one s own motivation, might be an additional reason of feeling uneasy about the job.

But it is mainly for other reasons that I would suggest you try out different jobs which are more role-playing friendly (like certain sales jobs, taking care of kids?) -- or something basic (like taking care of old people, babies, animals) that allows or even pushes authenticity. Maybe a combination out of both (so 2 jobs?).

According to Atwood (and me), putting on a mask constantly is not a real option. If you want to do a "serious" job in your area of expertise (but arent there anyway far too many people for very few jobs?), how about saying directly that you have Asperger s, and that often social interactions is to you more like wearing a mask and sometimes it is getting too much for you? Try to get a part time, if not at the beginning, then maybe with the help of a doctor later.

Im just finishing my bachelors degree in the field of societal safety/public safety with a particular interest in crises, disasters and catastrophes. For my part i find earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, storms, explosions, fires, and pretty much anything and everything with a catastrophic potential to be fun and interesting as these things are my special interest (there are of course a human tragedy perspective to these things but I take the good when I can and the bad when I have to). Do people find this odd? sure, but anyone who has ever spent some time with me finds me strange no matter how hard I try to hide it, so I only hide part of it.
Your interest in serial killers are pretty much like my interest in disasters in that most people hardly like to the deal with the general concept, not them mention the specifics. However someone who actuall finds the topic interesting will be far better suited to actually do the job, rather than someone who really would prefer not dealing with or knowing anything about the subject.
From my experience: interest in disasters and terrorist attacks from a practical point of view = creepy. Interest in same from an academic point of view = strange but far less chance of people thinking you are going to blow something up. Essentially turning my interest into an academic thing meant less chance of people thinking you are insane and creepy.
Guessing a serial killer interest would be pretty similar in that respect.

Without knowing the culture of the workplace and the people you will be working with, any and all advice will naturally have to adapted to the situation. I say embrace the fact that you are probably uniquely qualified to certain jobs and flap your arms like you just don't care my fellow aspie.

For those of us with..umh "special" special interests it is especially important to remember that there is a place and a time for everything. For my part I try not bring disasters up. I most only talk about it when asked or with the theme arises naturally. That way my social clumsiness of what not to say and when to stop talking is somewhat less than if I were to bring up the topic myself.
When out flying, people do not like to hear about all the different safety features of airtravel. I think people dislike being reminded that planes actually do crash from time to time when they are out flying. Also the specifics of terrorist attacks are not suitable dinner conversations.

There is something called cognitive dissonance that most people experience (it hasn't been studied in autistic people, but I would be surprised if it was different). It means that if you have conflicting cognitions (I like this "creepy" special interest; I am a good person) you experience an unpleasant feeling (cognitive dissonance).

To resolve the dissonance, you create something called a "self-justification." You exaggerate one of the cognitions so that they are not in conflict. In this example, you find a reason why something you think is creepy is not actually creepy. For example, the world needs specialists in this field to stop the bad things from happening and to help the people who are hurt. You could also resolve the dissonance by convincing yourself that you are not a good person, but most people don't do that. Cognitive dissonance is natural and self-justification is necessary for us all to live with ourselves.

Leon Festinger discovered this, if anyone wants to read more about it.

Oh, and it IS very stressful to "pass" as non-autistic (or as anything you're not). That's something I study. People usually do better if they deal with a few people who aren't very critical of their natural social skills and avoid having to deal with the public on a daily basis.

I've spent a lifetime wearing a mask, so much so that I feel trapped in it, and I feel I will never be able to do anything but be this mask around most everyone I know. It's not a good feeling. But I feel like my life will go even more badly if I don't maintain it.

I certainly didn't put on a mask today...unless it was a monster mask.

I had a hair-pulling, head smacking meltdown at my desk today. And for no good reason, really. It was because the computer response time was slow.

This is why I know I'm autistic. I do these sorts of things all the time when I get frustrated.

kraftie, I'm sorry to hear you had a bad day today.

It happens. I'm feeling better now. I didn't get called into the office for it!

More like a "frustration" meltdown---because I couldn't do anything to correct the situation.

Occasionally i will. I do every-time we get a new member of staff at work or retail trainee (work experience) , i try to make them feel welcome and get to know them its so exhausting and stressful.

I decided a long time ago i will try make all new staff feel welcome, I've seen it and experienced it myself when you join a place and nobody introduces themselves or trys to involve you in conversations, its not nice and you have to do all the work yourself. I try get to know them so they at least know one person, usually it involves asking the same questions so its not too bad.

Thanks, Waterfalls. I feel better now.

Though I've caught a little cold....one of those "change of season" ones.