Stop Punishing the Truth: Replacing Masking with Self-Acceptance
Stop Punishing the Truth: Replacing Masking with Self-Acceptance By Lindsay Rice Parents ask me a question all the time, usually with a whisper, like they’re afraid someone will judge them: “Does ADHD medication make kids lie less?” Honestly? Yes. But not for the reason people think. Kids with ADHD don’t lie because they’re sneaky. They lie because they’re scared. They lie because their nervous system is in full caveman mode and the goal is survival, not honesty. When that fight/flight/freeze system flips on, the brain is not thinking about “right and wrong.” It’s thinking: “What answer keeps me safe right now?” And unfortunately, neurodivergent kids live in that stress-response place way more than the adults around them realize. Some of it is brain wiring. A lot of it is the constant stream of corrections, disappointment, misunderstandings, sensory overwhelm, and being punished for things they didn’t mean. Growing up, I was constantly told: “You know better than that.”...