Anyone have Selective Mutism

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I was diagnosed with selective mutism when I was in Primary; the Aspergers came much later when I was half way through Secondary. For much of my childhood I was mute, speaking only to my mother and never outside the house. I think there were times when I spoke to other relatives but I can't remember much. Secondary happened and I got help. I was able to speak outside the house, in school when almost everyone had gone, then I did desensitisation therapy to help me talk to people I'd come across every day like some girls in my class, the librarian, a woman who would become my form tutor for the rest of my time there.

Nowadays though some things are easier, different, life is still a challenge; I am in my early twenties, can't only speak to a handful of family members, because I don't have a job anymore it's been all too easy to slip back into my old habits of not leaving the house. I don't have many places to go and no one at all to see as though I made a few friends at school I was never close to them, was hardly on social media, rarely gave out my phone number (I'm extremely introverted). So those friendships fell away and I have no idea how to make new friends. Well, not quite true - I have some ideas like going to groups for people with Aspergers. But as for neurotypicals, I have a feeling that ship has sailed. I've gone slightly off-topic here, but I'd love to know if anyone else has selective mutism (official diagnosis not needed).

Greetings. I currently don't have selective mutism, just social anxiety. I believe (if my parents took me to a psychologist), that I had selective mutism as a much younger kid, like 3-8 years old or so. I couldn't talk to like anyone but my parents and siblings, and some friends. Everyone else was either nothing or a whisper. If someone would want me to talk and I didn't want to, I would cry. I know it impaired me then, and now I believe it's part of the reason why I have social anxiety now. Selective mutism and social anxiety were both with me as a kid, just never officially diagnosed. I just got diagnosed with ASD three/four months ago. I was terrified of people so much that I wouldn't talk. It was terrible. I wish I could have talked more. I can talk to anyone now without problems, unless I get into, like, a meltdown because I get so frustrated with people due to ASD. People annoy me too much of the time. I was diagnosed with social anxiety three years ago.

So, I understand what you are going through. It's hard. Do you have social anxiety also? They are very commonly co-morbid. Hope you work on it

Hello.

I never whispered; I mouthed my way through Primary. That or nothing; it was mostly nothing.

I cannot tell you how often many times I must have cried throughout my childhood.

Yes, people are annoying, aren't they? :p That's why I'm practically a hermit.

Yes, it is hard. Better for me now but not by much. I'm by no means "normal". I don't think I do have social anxiety... Perhaps just aspects of it. I'd need a refresher of the criteria, but I think I have more selective mutism symptoms (still) than I do social anxiety ones.

Thanks, I'm trying; you too though you sound like you're doing alright. (As alright as anyone with these conditions can be...).

Yes. I go mute when I'm overstimulated, overwhelmed, pressured or accused. I also tend to go mute when I need to ask for something. I'm usually able to force short answers out to appease the other person and escape, but sometimes I'm completely unable to speak for an hour at a time.

I find it extremely hard to break the silence of a quiet room, even if I'm at home and it's just my mum and her hairdresser of the month in the room with me.

For me when my parents, sibling, or my 3 friends aren't around I have much trouble talking to anyone else for like one teacher. Which is gonna be hard next school year because I probably won't have anybody I know in the one class where the teacher doesn't like me and seems to not really acknowledge my Aspergers which will be hard when she surely asks me a question and I most likely will have trouble answering it.

Do you have an official diagnosis? If you do your school may be able to help you instead of being pricks.

I don't have an official diagnosis but I'm going to try to get one.

Hello again. I did some research a few weeks ago, and because of all the crying I did (1-3 times per day), I believe I also would have had involuntary emotional expression disorder. Not anymore. I still have trouble controlling my emotions. Well, that's what my teacher(s) tell me.

People are very annoying indeed. I find and hate how people care so little for school or their job, will destroy their brains because of excess use of drugs and alcohol, and would rather let someone else do their work to get a high mark than try. I hate group work because of everyone's lack of trying or caring.

According to the DSM-V, the difference between social anxiety disorder and selective mutism is that people with selective mutism may only fear negative evaluation if they have to speak, but don't fear negative evaluation if they don't have to speak, which someone with social anxiety would fear negative evaluation regardless of talking vs no talking. The most common comorbid condition with selective mutism is social anxiety according to the DSM-V. Criteria for social anxiety is:
A: Marked fear or anxiety about 1 or more social situations
B: The person fears that they will act in a way or show anxiety symptoms that will be negatively evaluated
C: Social situations almost always provoke fear or anxiety
D: Social situations are avoided or endured with intense fear or anxiety
E: Fear or anxiety is out of proportion to actual threat posed by social situation and to the sociocultural context
F: Fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, lasting 6 or more months
G: Fear, anxiety, or avoidance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in life
H: Fear, anxiety, or avoidance isn't caused by physiological effects
I: Fear, anxiety, or avoidance isn't explained better by another mental disorder
J: If another medical condition is present, the fear, anxiety, or avoidance is clearly unrelated or is excessive

I'm personally am doing okay. Some new(er) symptoms have appeared and are making me worried more than before.

If you didn't read my username, I am obsessed over different mental illnesses, and basically am an encyclopedia about mental illness, so hopefully, you aren't upset or anything about me listing the criteria for social anxiety or anything.

Hi. I don't know if I've got involuntary emotional expression disorder. And I'd rather not know. One disorder is more than enough for me.

Yes, precisely. Though I hated group work because of the expected social interaction, and the fact that (if nothing verbal was required) I could better work on my own!

Ok, so I think I've got social anxiety. (Yay...)

Do you have anyone to talk to about that?

Nah, it's okay. Saves me having to google it.

Also, does that mean Mental Health (or Illnesses) is a special interest of your's? And I thought Pyschology was one of my special interests – guess it isn't that special.

I didn't speak time about 6, then just to immediate family. I wasn't diagnosed till 25 and they couldn't believe I never had speech therapy. I feel like I'm slipping back in. I could be wrong, but I think if you don't use your vocal cords/lungs they are just like any other muscle so I will often try to sing with the radio or just yell to keep my diaphragm in shape.

I used to wonder how I still had a voice, with how mute I'd been...

I have a little of selective mutism, I have 17 years old and I'm in the high school's last year and don't speak nearly at all, just when I really need and have some doubt, and to specific people. It tends to not give me much anxiety and it's easier than to speak to any people.

It's fine to not know about that. There isn't much info about it anyways. But even today, I still have problems with emotional control.

I don't like group work because I feel I can do better on my own too

Currently, I don't have anyone to talk to about it. I have been asking people on forums about it. I'm just monitoring my symptoms, hoping it won't get worse. I haven't had an episode for a few days. I may have had one two nights ago, but I wasn't 100% it was real unlike the other times.

Okay, good

I still wonder if I might have it... Or I might just think I have it cos I don't have a very good "stiff upper lip," nor am I that good at being able to "keep calm and carry on".

Which probably means you can.

Could you see a doctor about it? Assuming they actually help you over there, across the pond...

I don't understand what you mean by a "stiff upper lip". Sorry, I'm really good at reading it.

What, that I can do group work on my own? A lot of the times, teachers have to force me to find a group.

Prefer not to at the moment. I'm starting to have some auditory hallucinations. Prefer not to be prescribed an anti-psychotic at the moment. It's not major yet. Just thinking about it being major.