Selective Mutism is a subject that hits home. When I was 5, I was diagnosed with Selective Mutism. Selective Mutism is an anxiety disorder. When in certain settings, a person with Selective Mutism will shut down and not speak to anyone. This is not a result of stubbornness or being shy, it is a result of anxiety.

Selective Mutism is rare and often mistaken for Autism. Starting school is a big deal for every little kid. But going through school with a disorder that no one understands makes the process a lot more difficult.

Before going to school every morning, I would have a panic attack. I wouldn’t speak to anyone the entire day and wouldn’t shut up when I got home. I talked to my maternal grandfather, but not my paternal. I talked to some uncles but not others. I spoke to all of my aunts. Why? I don’t know.

I don’t know is the slogan of anxiety. You don’t know why you think certain ways or do certain things, you just do. In 2nd grade, I began speaking to teachers, relatives, and classmates. Today, I am a Sophomore Communications major. Funny how life works.

Selective Mutism needs more awareness brought to it. Research the disorder. There might be someone close to you who is struggling. If you are a professional who has to deal one on one with a child who has SM, please try to learn more about what they are going through. My teachers did not do that for me and I really wish they had. Not because I want them to have sympathy for me, but so they can save themselves from the guilt they later felt for trying to force me to do something that I just couldn’t.

If you know a person who suffers from something that isn’t well known, please look it up and read about it. Don’t feel bad, that is not what people want. They just want someone who understands and listens to them.

For more information on Selective Mutism go to: http://www.selectivemutism.org