need help!

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i don't know how many others have encountered this problem but here it goes. sometimes when i'm under high stress situations i find it impossible to verbally communicate anymore i think it may fall under the category of selective mutism but i'm not sure. all i know is that i get these phases from time to time where i can't speak even if i have the desire to do so. needless to say it makes it difficult if not impossible to "ask" for the services/help that i need. it also makes day to day interactions even harder then usual. i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on either:getting around this or "jump starting" my speaking/talking again. there are many i encounter at times like this that either don't or aren't willing to understand this limitation. i have a hard time even fully understanding it myself. and advice/suggestions/information is greatly apreciated. i already tried looking up info about "selective mutism" as it may relate to my asperger's but i haven't been able to find any useful info on snapping myself out of it. i'm still not sure exactly what causes it. all i know is that it makes everything harder to do. sometimes it lasts a few days. the longest/hardest was when it lasted a few months. it's like i want to speak and can think of the words but they just don't/won't come out! i tried writing down questions etc to people in a notebook but that doesn't always work for all social situations(ex: trying to access a building but you need to talk into the intercom to get let in) PLEASE HELP thanx:)

i hope this post makes some sense. i have limited internet access so sorry i don't have lots of posts yet. my interest in this site is defintely there:)

Hi,

I'm so glad that you posted this message because I have the same problem! I too have struggled to find a solution to it and also find that almost no-one else is tolerant or understanding of it - they just assume that I'm being stupid.

I'm afraid I don't know of any ways to 'jump start' speech. What I have done is found other ways to communicate when my speech refuses to co-operate. I can use the sign alphabet (although that only works if the person with whom you are communicating knows it too.)

Other than that, I either write things down (or preferably type as I am dyspraxic so handwriting can be a problem) or, I take relevant documents and / or objects that are relevant to what I want to communicate and point or gesture (to try to convey, or simulate the action of, what it is that I want).

This generally works well, the only problem is that if you see the same people at a later date and they don't know that you have mutism problems, they generally assume that you were faking it and can be quite unpleasant - I just try to explain this to people and recommend websites, but many people just aren't interested and sometimes, ashamed as I am to admit it, I feel like I just can't be bothered to explain it for the umpteenth time when it is unlikely that there will be a helpful response.

I know that this is silly though because it is only by persevering in trying to make people understand that things will, hopefully, one day get better.

One thing that has helped me is to try and control the triggers - in my case sensory overload and panic attacks. I have mainly done this using medication - which is not ideal, but nothing else worked for me. I have also started taking L-glutathione which seems to have taken the edge of my anxiety a little. I don't know if you would be interested in trying these, but I suggest you do research first, and speak to a sympathetic doctor (if you can find such a person).

If you figure out something that works, let me know.

I certainly can't verbally communicate when in extremely stressful situations. The more difficult the situation, the less likely I'm able to say anything at all. All I can do is break down in tears, when I'm in a situation that's horrendously stressing like if someone is belligerent to me (up in my face and yelling), or I've just seen something really, really bad happen and am pressed to respond - half because I can't respond with words and half because of the pointlessness of trying.

I avoid these situations like the plague.

Yes.
I started a thread a few weeks ago called "Rendered Mute". You might want to check it out because a fair number of people replied.

I had this problem realy bad in my teenage years. I have it to a certain degree now though I can answer questions and respond to basic greetings though it's awkward and I often speak barely loud enough to be heard. Like you it's in stressfull situations.

I don't know what advice to give, but I know how you feel. I have periods of time where I just can't seem to talk either. I never really would talk when I was a kid unless someone said something to me.

i wasn't able to find it.can you post a direct link to that thread? also thanx to all who have responded so far. it helps to know there are others out there who have either been thru something similar or at least understand some of what i'm going thru right now.i'm glad a forum exists like this

Here's the link:
http://www.wrongplanet.net/modules.php? ... dered+mute

I can't talk when I'm in a stress situation, like if there's a lot of people around. If I do manage to say something, there's a good chance it will be totally out of context and just seem wierd to others.