People First Radio – October 15, 2026People First Radio – October 15, 2026
People First Radio
People First Radio focuses on ADHD, masking and stigma, with Grace Iarocci explaining social camouflage and its costs and Dr Alex Nataros sharing his own ADHD experience. The conversation touches on burnout, substance use risks, and a strengths-based approach to neurodivergence.
0:00•15 Oct 2026
ADHD, Masking, and Stigma: Why Hiding Your True Self Takes Such a Toll
Episode Overview
- ADHD is framed as a developmental difference, and many people benefit from a strengths-based view rather than a deficit-focused label.
- Masking ADHD traits can help people avoid discrimination but often leads to exhaustion, anxiety, depression and reduced genuine connection.
- Invisible disabilities like ADHD may be hard for others to recognise, which makes empathy, accommodation and support crucial.
- Intense masking and minority stress can contribute to burnout and increased risk of using substances to cope with social and work pressures.
- Both guests stress patience, acceptance and compassion as key for supporting adults who live with ADHD traits and related struggles.
“The worst thing is having to go around the world in your day-to-day life, not being genuine, not being recognized for who you really are and being accepted as such.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of People First Radio looks at ADHD through a mental health, stigma, and masking lens that will resonate with anyone who's ever felt they had to hide part of themselves to get by. Psychologist and researcher Grace Iarocci breaks down ADHD as a developmental difference rather than a disorder, challenging the idea that people need to be "fixed".
She explains social camouflage in detail: why people with ADHD try to appear "typical", the strategies they use to suppress fidgeting and overprepare for tasks, and the heavy costs this can carry.
As Grace puts it, "The worst thing is having to go around the world in your day-to-day life, not being genuine, not being recognized for who you really are and being accepted as such." You’ll hear how masking can lead to exhaustion, burnout, anxiety, depression, and even increased risk of substance use as people try to cope with constant hypervigilance.
Grace also talks about overlapping experiences with autism and other identities, and how minority stress can stack up for those holding several marginalised labels at once. Later in the episode, Port Hardy family doctor Alex Nataros reflects on his own ADHD diagnosis and jokes that the goal is not to be "disordered" but to be able to love, be loved, and contribute.
He highlights ADHD traits like creativity, risk-taking and thinking outside the box, and points to entrepreneurs and public figures who share these characteristics. Both guests stress the importance of destigmatising ADHD, focusing on strengths, and using compassion rather than judgement. For anyone in recovery, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers a fresh way to think about invisible disabilities, self-medication with alcohol or drugs, and the pressure to perform.
Could understanding masking be a missing piece in how you look at stress, relapse risk, or your own sense of identity?
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