Camouflaging in autism and borderline personality disorder: Same or different?

In this paper, we tackle the issue of overlapping clinical presentation of autism and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Recently, the phenomenon of camouflaging has been extensively discussed in the context of autism research, whereas it has not been similarly explored in the context of BPD. We aim to show that camouflaging strategies are relevant to the experience of both autistic and BPD individuals, thereby further corroborating the view that the conditions are similar in relevant ways. However, shedding light on distinct forms of camouflaging also reveals important differences between the two conditions, which can be overlooked by focusing on surface similarities. We first propose a broader notion of camouflaging in terms of making unseen, a process through which camouflagers manage to make some aspects of themselves less visible to others. We then interpret different patterns of behavior observed in autism and BPD as different forms of making unseen. Although these forms share the common objectives of fostering a felt connection with others and minimizing experienced divergences, they achieve these objectives in different ways. While individuals with BPD resort to practices such as façading and what we call subversive camouflaging, autistic individuals experience camouflaging as a blend between hiding and imitating. Delving deeper into these forms of making unseen reveals subtle but significant differences between autism and BPD, which can be helpful in clinical settings. We offer an exploratory account of such differences by analyzing three key aspects: sense of self, attitude towards others, and seeking connection.