Is there a way to make myself permanently mute?
Honestly I envy those who are mute. I have always idolized the strong silent protagonist in practically any medium.
But the real reason I want to become mute is because I'm tired of talking, I'm tired of people and their crap, I'm tired of not being taken seriously or even listened to, just tired of everything in general. Having been raised in a household where you have to talk to people if they talk to you and lots of other things and no point in conversations I don't know it's getting too much for me.
If there's some way to make oneself permanently mute, can you tell me? Drinking bleach? Swallow hot coals? Surgery? I don't know, I'd like to know if it's possible. Google and other research has not been fruitful of this.
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A few years ago I used to feel like that a lot. I got over it for the most part, but I occasionally still feel that way.
I have no problem with just ignoring people when I don't feel like talking though. I don't care if they think it's rude or that I hate them.
As far as I know, there isn't any reliable way aside from surgery, but I don't think that's something a surgeon would be willing to do.
I wouldn't recommend drinking bleach or swallowing hot coals, as that is more likely to kill you than completely destroy your voice.
I do exactly feel like you do. Over the years, I have become almost mute by talking less and less and by "listening to" people rather than "talking with" them. I do not even like to react to anything and do keep silent almost 90% of the time. As I am ageing, I am talking less and less.
You too can do it-practice by talking less. Don't pay much attention to what others are saying. Don't even take them seriously and you will see that you have suddenly become mute one day. There is no pressure to talk. People might find it strange initially, but they will accept your "mute status" soon. And no, it does not hamper relationship with other people because mostly other people would like you to listen to them-they are like that-obsessed with talking and are in look out for a listener.
Why do you need a surgery when you can do it by your own willforce ? Practice it.
Caelum
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: 18 Nov 2014
Age: 45
Gender: Male
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Location: Surrounded by Mountains
You could get a tongue piercing.
You probably won't want (or possibly be able) to talk much for the first little while so the recovery period would help you get past the initial "needing to respond" phase while you conditioned yourself towards silence. Apparently the tongue swells up for almost a week, so you'd be 'one up'-ing your childhood conditioning for that long, at least, then you might be able to ride it out into self muteness after that.
I'm not sure about your background, but you're already talking about doing potentially dangerous things that could be life threatening. As long as you go to a reputable place, a tongue piercing is pretty safe and relatively common these days.
Anyway, just an idea that is hopefully more safe than some of the things you've suggested. I hope you were just ballparking because of your frustration. The surgical option is legit, though it might be difficult to finance/find someone to perform it, but would be something else to explore. I just thought of the tongue piercing since it's something you could get in a safe environment, whenever you wanted, with limited questions asked. (The two biggest will be, "How do you want to pay for it?" and "Do you have any questions?")
Good luck and stay safe.
I have felt this way before, but not as extremely. I used to barely talk. I conditioned myself to talk more. Then I started talking too much and it was even physically painful and awkward to have that much to say (it has been a weird phase so far). Now I want to go back, or at least back to something closer to my original starting point.
Keep in mind that movies and books last for a short time. Those protagonists don't have entire lives to lead, not in the real world. You're a real human. Real humans are permitted to experience phases and changes. You can slowly become quieter if you feel compelled to. You can also in a few years become more talkative. You might meet the love of your life. You might meet an intellectual soul-mate. Who knows? What if you have something to say to those people?
Give yourself permission to speak less or barely at all. That gross awkward feeling will go away gradually, I bet.
Caelum
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: 18 Nov 2014
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Posts: 199
Location: Surrounded by Mountains
Something else I thought of, you could get one of those medical masks hospitals give you when you show up coughing and sneezing. Then you would have a constant reminder to keep your mouth shut, and if you feel like you have to say anything, just whisper it and make yourself sound raspy.
Honestly though, I'm a little confused. You're like, I'm ready to guzzle drain o and people are like, "willpower dude, just man up." I'm just worried you are serious and all this touchy feely stuff is so much words. If you're going to do this, then do it right, professionally. One route would be to get a psychiatrist to recommend you for surgery. Discuss it with a psychiatrist and ask for a surgical referral. Also see if they have any other advice or methods that might work better for you.
If all else fails, a good first step is still a tongue piercing from a reputable establishment. I just want you to be safe, and a tongue piercing has good literature and is a reasonable surgical procedure that no one, (except maybe your parents) will question. If they do question it, talk with them about it. Explain why you want to get it and what you hope it will accomplish. See what they recommend as well.
Good luck and stay safe.
yeah...some days, i wish i never learned to talk. there are times that the thoughts physically cannot travel down and out my mouth...so i do have mute moments. at work, people sometimes force me to answer when i don't respond in the NT fashion. a lot of times, i just ignore them--unless they get up in my face. but a lot of people that work in the building i work at don't know about my autism. i've only told most of the people in my department.
and then there are some days, that i'm ok with talking.
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Sweetleaf
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Even if there was a way to intentionally do that, it would likely create a lot more crap from people...plus you wouldn't be able to say anything in your defense, and no one would take you seriously if they knew you did it to yourself...they'd just see it as self harm for attention most likely(even if it is deeper than that)....I mean I can sort of understand your frustration, but there have got to be better ways to deal with it, than these potentially dangerous methods of attempting to destroy your ability to speak. Not to mention making yourself mute would likely not create the outcome you desire.
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lostonearth35
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I used to LOVE talking. I would talk people's ears off about only what I was interested in. Now that I'm diagnosed I know that no one is interested in what I have to say. But that doesn't keep me from talking sometimes. Sometimes I keep talking even when I know the person is no longer listening, but I find I have to finish what I said even when they turn or walk away. Of course it's only my fault if they aren't interested. It's also only my fault if I'm not interested in whatever they say, because I'm supposed to at least pretend I am, but it's okay if they don't.
I often feel embarrassed and ashamed that I used to talk so much about my interests. But I have to talk. Sometimes hearing my own voice the only way I know I still exist.
Anyway I can understand the difficulty finding a way to make oneself mute on Google. Probably because not many people actually want to be. In fact I don't recommend harming yourself in any way. Maybe you should just not talk, that's all.
Last edited by lostonearth35 on 21 Apr 2015, 11:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Sweetleaf
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My mother throughout childhood conditioned me to reply when someone talked to me so when I don't I feel gross so to speak. So surgery or something would allow me to "one up" it.
It would make more sense to address that feeling and the roots of it, and reach a point where you don't feel like you have to always talk when you don't want to. I mean sure there are situations it makes the most sense to talk if you have the ability, but it is also possible to become assertive enough to let people know when you aren't up for conversation and plenty of socially acceptable ways to reject talking to people when you don't want to.
Even if such a surgery existed, and you got it done...you'd still feel 'gross' I'd imagine.
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Sweetleaf
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Joined: 6 Jan 2011
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Honestly though, I'm a little confused. You're like, I'm ready to guzzle drain o and people are like, "willpower dude, just man up." I'm just worried you are serious and all this touchy feely stuff is so much words. If you're going to do this, then do it right, professionally. One route would be to get a psychiatrist to recommend you for surgery. Discuss it with a psychiatrist and ask for a surgical referral. Also see if they have any other advice or methods that might work better for you.
If all else fails, a good first step is still a tongue piercing from a reputable establishment. I just want you to be safe, and a tongue piercing has good literature and is a reasonable surgical procedure that no one, (except maybe your parents) will question. If they do question it, talk with them about it. Explain why you want to get it and what you hope it will accomplish. See what they recommend as well.
Good luck and stay safe.
A psychiatrist is not going to recommend a surgery that creates a disability...not being able to speak is considered to be disabling...they'd likely recommend therapy of some sort to overcome feelings leading to feeling the need to have their ability to speak removed, and potentially therapy to teach them boundaries with people so they don't feel compelled to speak when they don't want to if that is a problem for them.
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We won't go back.
Making yourself mute?
The downside is that you will become even more disabled, and more handicapped, and more powerless, and more helpless, than you are now. And thats assuming no secondary medical effects from you doing some crazy crap to make yourself mute like drinking bleach or whatever.
The upside would be......what?
No one would expect you to make conversation when your kinfolk came over.
But is that it?
Doesnt sound like much of a bargain to me.
Just never talk again?
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