How masking can lead to internalized autism

High masking explains what we do to survive.

Internalized autism explains what it does to us.

Masking autism is minimizing or hiding your physical traits of autism. Like learning how to minimize your stims or not talk about your special interests. 

Internalizing autism is what happens after you mask (sometimes, not always)... 

When masking is more than just hiding your traits, but hiding what your autistic brain desperately needs. (Like hiding sensory distress when you're exposed to sensory triggering things)... 

Which then triggers overwhelming anxiety and distress. (Aka "distinct anxiety" because it's anxiety tied directly to your autistic unmet needs)...

Which you then hide too (internalize) so there are no visible signs that you are triggered at all... 

But internalizing your distinct anxiety causes even more extreme and overwhelming anxiety and distress. 

And over time, your internalized autism leads to detrimental, even life threatening mental and physical health consequences.

Masking is the act of hiding your autistic traits.

Internalizing is the impact masking has on you long term.

This is how I see these things in the context of my own autism. They are related, but not the same. And both are equally important.