Mutism anyone?

Dear Lani, one day you will look back on these struggles, and they may not look too bad, Don't get me
wrong I want yours to be over Now! But in perspective when I look back I see that this condition even
though at the time I thought everything was over when it drove me to my knees! Was the best thing
for me, I didn't know how to be humble, and I really needed to. No I don't think God did it to me but
I am sure He was their to lift me up and I was too happy to obey. I know you are tired of the condition
pulling you down, but please dont despair I know of no one who didnt get much better or completely
well. I wish you Peace.

Larry ***

Maybe I just needed to whine. I have had extensive CBT - starting in grade school. I'm usually alright and can manage to work around my Selective Mustism when I can't plow through it. I am incapable of vocalizing when I feel like I'm going to be wrong (which is quite frequent) or if I am being asked about my anxiety (talking about anxiety makes me insanely anxious - convenient right?). It's not a choice I make to stop talking. The muscles around my vocal cords become so tense that talking is not physically possible. Encouraging, and prompting, and concerned looks don't make it better.

I think it just hurt more today because so many things are going well. I've noticed throughout my life that it doesn't really matter what I have accomplished, once my disorder is witnessed in action everything else gets questioned.

It's all good. I have a day full of kids tomorrow. Lots of smiles!

I don't have mutism, exactly. I can talk - but the more I'm afraid to talk about something, the more difficult it is, physically. My voice gets teeny tiny, quiet and high-pitched. Sometimes, I feel like I'm working so hard to get the words out that I think I might faint. (Never have fainted from that, though.)

My husband calls it my "minnie mouse" voice, but it can be terribly embarrassing at work.

It has started to improve with therapy (plain ole talk therapy) and Klonopin. In fact, I save a dose of Klonopin if something's coming up and I anticipate one of those episodes. Not much help when they're unexpected episodes, though.

Hi,

I can understand how difficult it can be to talk sometimes. I don't really experience this now, but I am sometimes careful about who I ask questions, and when. Usually people whom I feel more comfortable with, people who I think understand me, or we have mutual understanding, I find it easier to communicate with. I do understand that this isn't the same thing, though I have in the past, seems difficult to think of now, been 'incredibly' shy, like going through a day at work without talking much at all.

Doesn't happen anymore, it was mainly probably the way I was at the time, which eased over time as I became more confident I think. I find it easy to talk to a stranger I am comfortable with, easy to talk to people I know well over time, then harder to talk to people (somewhere in the middle, when I'm not sure how I'm going to be judged, or if I don't feel that they like me or if I might get upset by there tone)

Have you found that when you are outside of a situation or environment where you might not quite feel at ease, that you then feel more comfortable talking to close relatives or friends, people that you know etc.?

I hope that the above is the case, as it is nice to have periods of relief when you feel that you maybe have not talked for a while. I can understand that.

I hope I have been sensitive and not presuming :) Best wishes.

Wishing you best wishes la5ni, I hope that all is going well,

HB