Drinking to Mask and Unmask

health, fitness, mental, society, culture, education · EN

Drinking to Mask and Unmask is an Autistic-led podcast exploring the complex relationship between autism, masking, addiction, and the strategies people develop to survive in a world that often demands they hide who they are. Hosted by Chelsey Flood, novelist and late-diagnosed autistic writer, the series examines the coping mechanisms autistic people use to navigate everyday life — from the habits that help us get through difficult situations to the behaviours that can become harmful over time. Through conversations with researchers, writers, clinicians, and people with lived experience, each episode explores how masking, addiction, recovery, creativity, and identity intersect. The inaugural season focuses on what it takes to appear “okay” in environments that often feel overwhelming, uncovering the emotional, social, and cultural pressures that shape that reality. Blending personal reflection, lived experience, and thoughtful discussion, D