What is Selective Mutism?

[@diannegoode5172]

It's not just children who have this l wish people realized that.

[@dyani381]

Preach it.

[@nickly1032]

I’m 19 years old and can’t talk to my parents, it’s embarrassing all of these videos are talking about children. Like I should’ve grown out of it by now

[@troffeelituf]

Exactly

[@emilyrain5702]

I'm 17 years old and I can talk well with my therapist and close friend (whom I love like a sister) however, if Im in school, around people I'm unfamiliar with, or even around my dad and stepmom and grandparents, I cant get myself to speak at all.. Or if I do, it's inaudible. There are some days that I talk more than others, but those days aren't as many. In many cases, I can't get myself to talk at all and if I do need to talk, it comes out barely audible or I'll stammer a lot or the sentences would be choppy and such.

[@josephprospere]

Emily Rain Oh my God. I’m 26 and I have been looking for this comment all my life. I thought something was very wrong with me. Whenever I talk to my parents and some of my siblings I stammer like crazy and it always leaves me feeling very low and I think that I’m dumb. I know now what it is and I’m not alone. Thank you for sharing.

[@nancywelsh2854]

I had this in the 7th and 8th grade. I absolutely could not speak in class. My teacher addressed it by humiliating me in front of my peers. The teacher led the whole class in laughing at me when I couldn't speak and answer a simple question...and myself being the focus of all their attention ..well it was horrible to say the least. The laughing went on forever and I finally whispered the answer and the laughing grew even louder. I could speak on the playground though not often and after school played with friends and quietly spoke. I had no problem at home with my sisters...although I was raised in a home where we, the children, were not allowed to speak at the table or in the car or in my parents social situations...seen but not heard was the rule. I would hide from my parents friends if I saw them in the store or where ever. I could not speak to them....I wasn't able to speak. I could not even say hello. Finally, when I was about to start high school and there were so many people who didn't know me, I decided that if I didn't speak, I would die. Literally die. So I spoke. I spoke in class. I got involved with clubs. I still 'hid' from people, adults from my 'past'. But I was much better. I never knew selective mutism had a name but as a 66 year old, I cannot forget that this was a very painful period in my life. And I'll never forget that cruel teacher.

[@rn1480]

nancy welsh what a evil teacher

[@yu1821]

⚠️my kindergarten teacher threatened me with a knife if I didn't speak to her immediately.. ⚠️

[@kiyoponnn]

@@rn1480 *an

[@avenbee5021]

God that's scary I'm in the 7th grade with select mutisium I can talk to friends fine and sometimes teachers but there this one teacher who will call on you when u don't have your hand up and I can never anwser questions in her class ;w;

[@Cloud-jg6cb]

I went through the same thing too

[@urmyu4ria104]

Sometimes people ignore my presence

[@Giaphaige]

I used to have this quite severely, I would not talk unless directly asked a question by someone. An old schoolmate of mine said she genuinely thought I was mute. I had bad anxiety and a problem with maldapative daydreaming/zoning out, so it was difficult for me to actually get words formed into a sentence and then spoken out. It was like there was a wall between what I wanted to say and actually saying it.

[@yu1821]

"Mostly affects pre school aged children" then I'm here coming at 14 and still suffering from it

[@Bummer1980]

My son is 15 and I’ve maybe heard him say 5,000 words to me in his life. He wont talk to adults. He only ever talks to kids. I tried to get him to tell me what he wanted for his birthday this year. He wouldn’t tell us anything. Even in pleasant conversations he just stands there and cries. It’s so frustrating! He doesn’t talk to teachers either. I know he can carry on conversations, I hear him on the Xbox upstairs. I know he can speak loudly, he just never has ever had a normal conversation with his dad or I. He talks to his 11 year old brother. They talk all the time, but if some one is in the room my older son will either stop talking or whisper so no one can hear him. So we always have to ask our younger son what’s going on with his brother. I’d never heard of selective mutism until now. It just fits so perfectly!

[@mariae2781]

My 20 year old daughter just got officially diagnosed with it today but I've seen it for years. I came across a book about it at the library years ago. Autism ruled out today and selective mutism finally diagnosed. S/M is as common as autism but I knew she wasn't autistic because my son is autistic even though he has behavioral problems he's definitely more social. She also has social and generalized anxiety but it all falls under anxiety

[@meghanmarquez3065]

My 13 year old daughter sounds exactly like your child. ❤️

[@angelocatapang6054]

my sincere love,empathy to you and your son tricia.

[@j3licat]

Thats such a surreal family situation. My brain kinda can't compute this. My family does nothing but talk.

[@sebajaradat6522]

Had this since preschool and it still happens now sometimes at 20... AND THEY SAID IM JUST SHY 🤦🏻‍♀️😡

[@angelocatapang6054]

yup cause years of my anxiety,depression struggles most likely i really do have 'selective mutism'.just speaking on right places,people.if i don't know what conversation to have/what topics to talk about.

[@好于-t2g]

I'm 21, i have this disorder.

[@Goldjetski]

I had this from 4th grade all the way until 10th. It was to the point where my teachers thought i was mute or deaf. They even tried putting me in special education classes

[@emily5476]

When I was in preschool I had this, the only person I talked to was my mom

[@Drizzleville23]

I’m not sure if I have this or not. I know when I get upset or when something traumatizing happens to me I can’t speak, no matter how badly I want to. I wish I knew what it was

[@kaysome85]

sejxiv same my parents told me they think I have it

[@Nobody_Special18]

So this is what I had growing up and I still struggle to this day. Then I watershed a video of yours about covert narcissism. And another psychiatrist video because I got worry. I suffer from extreme social anxiety and depression and am now worried, because of my extreme shyness, that it is compressed together. I don’t know how or who to ask for help. Mostly because of my shyness and trying so hard to get by in life.

[@allyonightmare]

Is this related to being able to talk to people on a 1v1 basis but can't speak in groups?

[@linnycupcakes7912]

My mom said when I was little they thought I was mute. I didn’t talk until I was 5 yrs old. I gestured and made faces like I was Deaf, but was writing and hitting my other milestones just fine.

[@machinegunsally1874]

Sometimes I stop talk mid sentence. Mutism hits me when I'm stressed out.

[@davesworld7688]

Hearing that Greta Thunberg has Selective Mutism brought me here. Although I was already subscribed because this channel is excellent!

[@PamelaAnn]

I like to say that us living with selective mutism can speak in certain situations and with certain people.

[@naughdialarock4103]

Can someone help me figure out what I’m struggling with? I just like randomly can’t talk or don’t talk because it’s too hard. Even when I’m relaxed and hanging out with my friend, she could ask me a question and I won’t be able to answer. It could be in like the middle of a family gathering and I’ll be talking and everything will be normal but then I’ll just quit talking. If you know what this is will you please tell me?

[@SARAHANAREBA]

My mom always talked for me lollll

[@deborahlynn6432]

My 12 year old daughter has Selective Mutism. It took years to get her diagnosed. Sigh...

[@stay1kalways927]

idk what I have but there times where I can't get the word out and I just make a quiet uhhhh sound until I can say it so I just choose to not talk it's a hard life mane no cap this is hiding the real me ppl don't know how cool &chill I am and shit they just think I'm quiet or awkward 🤷‍♂️

[@cookiesstealer1760]

I'm selectively social. Is that the same? This is the situation: I can talk freely with my best friends but not with a friend(idk if they are my friends) that I'm not close to. I can't talk to strangers face to face but I can talk to them in media social(games n other stuff)

[@PamelaAnn]

Selective mutism is a learned behavior. We learn to be anxious around our relatives meaning our parents I hated to say that. I want more anything in this world to overcome selective mutism!!! How would I overcome SM as an adult?

[@PamelaAnn]

Please help.

[@PamelaAnn]

I hated to say that we learn to become anxious from our parents. 😢

[@Brandy11111]

I have this. Everyone just called it shyness, my daughter has inherited it and been diagnosed at school with it and nowadays they actually care enough to fix it.

[@Mrst700]

I had this when I was a child, people would speak to me and I just didn’t say anything back not a single word but I would speak to other people normally

[@fatimashahzad9635]

Thank u soo much This video clear my doubts

[@cheridehart7771]

When my son met Melissa when he was 5 years old he started to speak. I am not sure what causes the delay, he started to speak but I was going through a divorce and also it was the age of his immunizations. Not many people spoke about this 35 years ago. Today they most likely would have put him on the spectrum. Without that label he is seem as a productive normal family man and father.

[@savvo5929]

My brother has it, but it got better when he turned 8-9, he no longer has a problem with speaking in school or strangers in fact he’s very social. however, he’s 11 now and throws temper tantrums, has a very entitled act and cries very easily. Is this linked selective mutism as well?

[@ronc7475]

I choose not to talk to anyone ever.

[@noir_fedora1701]

Can selective mutism come around and when youre a bit older

[@unknowntosociety01]

I never grew out of it!! Wouldnt wish it on anyone

[@iweird154]

I can’t even talk to my teachers..

[@vanillabean7832]

Before I wasn’t able to talk to my teachers either. As time went on I became able to talk to only teachers at school, in an extremely quiet voice... And only very rarely. I only fully got rid of my problem when I moved to another country and was surrounded by completely new people. Have you been able to communicate what you would normally speak by writing things down for your teachers/classmates? I feel like this helped me become more comfortable around them.

[@arsenaldahoodgod101]

me neithet

[@kevinwings917]

Your not alone 😭😭😭

[@jenniferferris44]

Selective mutism also a comorbidity with autism. Happens when getting near meltdown or someone associated with trauma. Trying to do so causes meltdowns and self harm

[@Amycakes-ls5rx]

I’m almost 22 and still struggling with this and I am also autistic on top of that so that probably doesn’t help

[@ashleyhk]

I just realized I have selective mutism 😔💔

[@Meggsie]

Kind of ended up here but if an adult were to lose their voice in intense situations- is that selective mutism?

[@rachelryan78]

I grew out of it

[@mysterious6444]

When ur that one person who is just a kid and dosent understand anything x3

[@tattedhomesteader6739]

Pretty sure my son has this into of his appraxia

[@adhamhmacconchobhair7565]

Its not a disorder like autism and stuff its temporary but can be permanent, also therapy makes it worse dont use it, rewards feel like so much presure, the recording is just weird.., the stranger at home is awkward and you need the stranger to know the child personaly and stop questioning them about talking and start relising was they are interested in and get them a gift related to that subject and i use to have it so thats what you need to do but no two people with it are the same and for god sake stop referring to it as a disorder, accordering to stats kids with just selective mutism are some of the smartest and bravest people especially if they go for it and talk in the situation where they cant

[@JoshuaTheGoanimater]

I still have it 😭

[@zszs2882]

Everybody talks about the symptoms and how people, teachers/relatives/neighbours should handle theese kids with this condition. But very few people asks about the reason. These children do not have genetic problems, and if that comes at early stage of life, parents should be involved in the treatment as well. Their problem may be reflected back in the child' s behaviour. If a child has an anxiety issue, and that child has no genetic problem then go and check out the mother first then the father. A child lives in the aura of the mother until the age of 6 so the root cause may be found there.. and it has to be treated.

[@liliramirez1393]

I have it I don’t talk

[@k-vy5nt]

I say “do” not “have”, as SM is not a disease, it is just a phase! For those who do SM, I know the struggle of this: little kids who won’t stop asking your name, people trying to use sign language, nonstop questions of “Will you talk to me?”, etc. It’s all very akward. I’m in the middle of fixing SM. When I was little I never smiled with friends. Now I smile at random strangers. One time at a party in Kindergarten I was shaking like crazy when I was eating cake only because my teacher was there. Now, I whisper to my whole class and most of my teachers. (This took a whole year) The next step I whispering openly class instead of in people’s ears. Next, talking. 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬 I know what being pressured to talk is like. Same with stepping out of line / doing something wrong (AHHHHHHHH) And when people don’t understand that you don’t want to talk. And when you are the center of attention. People judging you, people asking if it’s because of them, feeling like you are a tiny ant in a world of sky scrapers, feeling stuck in your own head, being on vacation and scanning the room for that one family member you don’t talk to before talking, feeling like you are drowning in a room echoing with loud sounds (like talking). Selective Mutism may be scary, but (if you do it) YOU CAN GET THROUGH THIS!!!!!!!!!

[@TwistedTransistor88]

was me in kindergarden till the 8th grade.

[@christinawright2876]

I have this