{"product_id":"taking-off-the-mask-shaun-e-poland-9798994373101","title":"Taking Off the Mask: A Field Guide for Neurospicy Brains","description":"\u003cp\u003eYou look capable. Maybe even successful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut if you're an autistic or ADHD adult who has been masking for years, you might also be exhausted.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTaking Off the Mask: A Field Guide for Neurospicy Brains\u003c\/em\u003e explores autism, burnout, late diagnosis, and the hidden cost of passing as \"normal.\" If you've ever felt like life is on hard mode while everyone else seems to glide through it, this book was written for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter my own late autism diagnosis and the start of therapy, I began asking questions that wouldn't go away: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy does everything take so much effort?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy does my brain never fully quiet down?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy do \"normal\" expectations feel heavier for me than they seem to for everyone else?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost books I found felt either too clinical or too personal without explanation. I needed something honest and direct -- something that explained the \u003cem\u003ewhy\u003c\/em\u003e without becoming a textbook.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I wrote the book I needed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not a diagnostic manual. It is not a promise to \"fix\" you. It's a field guide built from lived experience, research, therapy, and a lot of trial and error.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInside, we explore: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAutism and ADHD masking\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eQuiet, high-functioning burnout\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSensory overload and nervous system fatigue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDopamine chasing and coping patterns\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWork culture and unrealistic expectations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTherapy, self-awareness, and late diagnosis\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRelationships, tone, and misinterpretation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe emotional cost of constantly passing as normal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis book is for: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLate-diagnosed autistic or ADHD adults\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePeople questioning whether they might be neurodivergent\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurned-out professionals who feel like they're running hot all the time\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNeurotypical partners, friends, or coworkers who want to understand better\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou don't have to read it in order. You don't have to agree with everything in it. You're not meant to copy my experience -- you're meant to notice what resonates and adapt it to your own life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf this book does its job, you won't finish it feeling \"fixed.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou'll finish it feeling understood. Less broken. A little more aware. And maybe a little kinder to yourself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat's the point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Shaun E. Poland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798994373101\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Shaun E. Poland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/02\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 212\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.55lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.48d","brand":"Shaun E. Poland","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48743187611903,"sku":"9798994373101","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/taking-off-the-mask-shaun-e-poland-9798994373101","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}