Do i have selective mutism?
Children with selective mutism can often be mistaken for having autism. They don't really tend to show emotion or give eye contact. I had selective mutism at school. I would speak to my friends but I wouldn't speak to any teachers. I had to get mentored for it. I was very shy and had hardly any confidence. I was bullied at school and I sort of gave up speaking to adults because I simply believed they didn't care I was hurting from being bullied. However, when I left school and started college I began to speak to adults. However, I'm 20 now and still not so confident speaking to adults. I'm a teaching assistant in a secondary school and I have no problem speaking to the students or shouting at them when they are bad. There is also a student where I work with selective mutism and she will only speak when she wants. She'll speak to anyone, but only when she wants them to hear her voice. So, most of the time, when she raises her hand and I go over to her, I am left guessing what it is that she wants.
What does it feel like to have selective mutism?
I’ve had selective mutism for as long as I can remember and I’m still really bad at explaining this.A lot of people are under the misconception that my talking is based on where I am, but it’s actually based on who I’m with. If I’m at school, but only family are around, I can talk just like I could if I was at home with only family around.But, if I’m at home and there is someone from school around, I don’t talk - even if there is family around who I usually can talk to. That one person affects everything. Does that make sense?As for why I don’t talk. I don’t really know. Something deep within me is telling me that bad things will happen if I talk to those people. I know it’s stupid and irrational, but when I’m in that situation, reasonable thoughts don’t make much sense to me.Physically, I can talk to them, and sometimes I do, but it causes me a ridiculous amount of anxiety. It’s generally easier to just avoid talking at all. I’m not in a constant state of anxiety when I’m at school, usually I can function pretty normally. The anxiety comes in when I know I should be talking, or when I am forced to talk.The main reason this is so hard for me to explain is because this is my normal. I’ve forgotten how it feels to be able to talk freely all the time so it’s hard to pinpoint the exact differences between the way I feel about talking and the way most other people feel about talking.Regardless, I hope all that made some sense. I’ll answer any questions you have if you’re still confused.
What is Selective Mutism?
Selective Mutism.is a childhood anxiety disorder. It is more than shyness and is not a child refusing to speak. ... their child has Selective Mutism, what should they ... Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder, What does that really mean? ... What Is Selective Mutism? ...www.selectivemutism.org/FAQ.htm
Is there a cure for selective mutism?
it is popularly believed that the best “therapy” for a selectively mute person is to thrust them into situations they struggle to speak in and force them to speak. i have endured this on several horrible occasions, the worst of which being a time when i was denied bathroom privileges until i verbally asked to go. this resulted in me peeing my pants. with selective mutism, the more you force it, the harder it will be. an episode of muteness is often brought on by intense feelings of discomfort, stress, and anxiety. these will only worsen if you try to force the child to speak. trust me, they know they should be able to. every time i have an episode, i’m screaming inside my head to just open my mouth and speak and let it all be over with. but i can’t.the best way to help a child overcome selective mutism in my opinion is through patience and understanding. make sure to never demand the child to do something they are nervous about, and never try to force them to do anything they seem to be reluctant to. try teaching yourself and them some nonverbal ways to communicate, like sign language, and try asking them to write or draw whatever it is they’re struggling to say. the more comfortable they are speaking to you, the more comfortable they will become with others, even strangers, in time. the most important thing to remember is to never punish your child for being unable to speak. though selective mutism probably will never go away completely, you can help your child learn to fight it, so they might even forget they have it at times.
Can selective mutism be permanent?
Technically, selective mutism, by definition, is NOT permanent because it is "selective". However, an individual with the diagnosis or symptoms can progress, or display symptoms that disgress to long-acting, indefinite or even"permanent", symptoms of mutism--including but by no means limited to--cases of severe autism or other developmental disorders, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, neurologic conditions, organic mental disorders.
Anyone have a child with Selective Mutism?
I specialized in Selective Mutism in Collage. I majored in Spec Ed Emotionally handicapped. The main thing that was really forced into my brain was not to force the child to speak. If and when they are ready they will learn to trust you. I took four years of sign language during collage and continued after to improve my skills. I learned that a child who refuses to speak verbally will sometimes communicate in other ways. Learning ASL gave me an avenue to teach an alternative form of communication (this also came in very handy when five years ago I gave birth to a deaf child). A good therapist can sometimes discover why the child is finding it so hard to trust but sometimes there just isn't a reason. Be patient with your child. Encourage him or her in every way. Let her know that she is loved and excepted for who she is and someday she will open up and sing like an angel.
Is it possible to have BPD with selective mutism?
I have it. Yes it is possible.It usually shows up in situations such as having argument with partner. It is like I am not able to speak. I still do not know why but feel like something stops me or at that moment, my mouth lose control. Afterwards, I start to think that moment and I do think in the way like “I should have said this and that! Why didn't I say that"So I hate it but unfortunately it is possible according to my experience.
Where does selective mutism come from? Can genes be a benefactor of it?
Selective mutism (which is a misnomer, there is no choice involved) is caused by, or is a symptom of, social anxiety, when it shows up.One of the sources of social anxiety is autism.We know autism has genetic components; it runs in families.It seems logical that many other neurodevelopmental impairments and some psychiatric illnesses, which also have genetic components and also predispose to, or cause, anxiety, are equally applicable.