Mental Health Week: Unmasking mental health

There’s more to me.

That’s the message the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is sharing as part of Mental Health Week 2025, the theme of which is Unmasking Mental Health.

Living with a mental health or substance use challenge is hard enough; masking can make it even harder, it notes. Living with mental health challenges often forces people to hide behind a ‘mask’ to protect themselves from judgment and discrimination.

But the heavier the stigma, the heavier the mask becomes and the more isolated we feel, CMHA warns. “Masking is hiding or suppressing something about ourselves – emotions, personality traits, behaviours or symptoms – from others. It’s a coping mechanism used to stay safe, hide in plain sight or ‘fit in’ and we may even do it without being aware of it,” it explains.

Examples of masking include hiding one’s gender identity or sexual orientation to stay safe, physically and psychologically; hiding an invisible disability, including a mental illness, so as not to be seen as weak or different; hiding a substance use problem or using substances to cope with stress or symptoms of mental illness and distress; and presenting an idealized image of one’s life on social media.

While masking can be a “helpful tool” in our day-to-day lives, helping us navigate social situations, feel safe, and maintain personal boundaries and privacy, when someone feels the need to mask who they are all the time just to be safe, keep a job, fit in or avoid judgment, masking can take a physical, mental and emotional toll.

Masking affects a person’s sense of self-worth and can cause feelings of emptiness and shame,” CMHA adds. This May 5-11, it’s encouraging people across Canada to look beyond the surface and see the whole person. “By embracing honesty and vulnerability, we open the door to deeper connections and the mental health benefits that come with it,” it says. “In doing so, we can create a ripple effect of courage and understanding across the country.”

Visit Mental Health Week 2025: Unmasking Mental Health to learn more.

Image courtesy of the Canadian Mental Health Association.