Selective Mutism in the media (Japan)

Selective mutism is sometimes featured in the media in English-speaking countries. For example, in America, the big three networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) all have featured selective mutism. In the UK, Channel 4 has featured selective mutism. In addition to the TV media, newspapers (e.g. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times, The Guardian, etc.) and magazines (e.g. TIME, People, etc.) also have featured the anxiety disorder.

But when it comes to the Japanese media, I seldom heard such things. As far as I know, Yomiuri Shimbun, the largest newspaper circulation in the world, featured selective mutism in 1986 and 1988. In 1988 NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization, also featured it. Major Japanese media featured selective mutism in the late 80's, because Minoru Yamamoto, a professor at Yamagata University, published books about selective mutism then. But except for that period, the term "selective mutism (Bamen Kanmoku in Japanese)" rarely appeared in the Japanese media.

Recently however, local editions of Japanese major newspapers featured selective mutism. The Asahi Shimbun (2008), The Mainichi Shimbun (2009) and The Chunichi Shimbun (2009) featured selective mutism. In every case Knet, a Japanese selective mutism support group established in 2007, was involved. In addition to that, The Chugoku Shimbun (October 7th 2009) featured selective mutism in response to a request from a former sufferer of selective mutism. And The Asahi Shimbun (2007) printed a contribution from a reader who appealed for help to children with selective mutism.

There seem to be a growing consciousness among Japanese people involved in selective mutism that awareness of selective mutism should be raised, so they encourage the media to feature the anxiety disorder.

Index of SM in Japan

Study was everything

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Chapter 5 Selective mutism and my high school years

Study was everything

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[Which colleges we wanted to apply to ?]

When I was a sophomore in high school, one day our school had us take a nationwide practice entrance exam.

Before we took the exam, we were required to write which colleges we wanted to apply to on prescribed forms. After the exam, the organizer of the exam showed us possibilities that we pass the entrance exams for colleges we wanted to apply to on the basis of data obtained by the exam.

I also wrote my preferred colleges on a prescribed form. I wrote three colleges. A college, B college and C college. But after I submitted the paper, my homeroom teacher called me into a teachers' room. She asked me why I wrote the name of C college. She said she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the name of the college. According to her, C college had bad reputation, and most alumni of our high school who went to C colleges were ones with very low academic achievement. "I can't understand why did student like you write such college's name?"

From what she saw, I underestimated me. But from what I saw, she overestimated me.

I went through similar experience when I was the 5th grade. My homeroom teacher thought highly of me. But I had the opposite view (see "My self-evaluation").

Did she misunderstood me because I spoke nothing? Did selective mutism affect my self-esteem and cause me to underestimate myself?

[Study was everything]

Many students in my class studied hard to pass college entrance exams. Maybe because of that, there was an atmosphere in my class that study was everything. If student get high marks, he or she gains respect. Even if high-achievement students had some problems, their problems tended to be ignored.

My selective mutism didn't disappeared completely then. But I studied hard to pass college entrance exams rather than tried to overcome my anxiety disorder. As a result, I got high marks in regular exams. My classmates showed respect for me. My homeroom teacher also thought highly of me. I had only to study.

(To be continued)

How to overcome selective mutism by myself (2)

I try to write how to overcome selective mutism by myself. But I recommend not trusting in what I write, because I am not a professional. In addition, I don't know whether this method is really effective.

[Principle]

I apply to the principle of behavior therapy. First, setting stepwise goals. Second, uttering words gradually.

[Concrete examples]

I'll explain my idea more concretely. Let's take school life for example.

* I spent my school years in Japan. So, I write an example based on my experience in Japanese schools. I'm sorry if what I write can't apply to schools in your country.*

As a first step, for instance, greet teachers and classmates. When I went to Japanese schools, schoolchildren and students had to greet teachers. If your school require you to do so, it might be a good opportunity. Even if your school don't, I think it's a way to take a first step to overcome fear of speaking. Of course, it's not easy for mute children to greet people. So, at first, whisper to teachers and classmates good morning or good bye. Repeating the process increase the chance of greeting teachers and classmates in a loud voice.

As a second step, for instance, utter words loudly as possible as you can in class when you are called on by teachers. Some Japanese former sufferers say they could manage to read textbooks in class when they were called on by their teachers and asked to read textbooks. I guess such experiences helped them to lower their anxiety of speaking.

As a third step, for instance, try to talk with familiar classmates. If you can do that, try to talk with unfamiliar people gradually.

I refer to a study on selective mutism (Uchiyama, 1959) to describe this method. Although it's an old study, the treatment principle has in common with Helping your child with selective mutism (2005).

[Points to Keep in Mind]

1 Try step by step

It's very difficult for children with selective mutism to chat with others. Chatting requires children to talk what they want to say in order. That's a very tall order for them. When I had selective mutism, I tried to do so but failed. So, I felt frustrated. But it's no wonder you fail if you try difficult thing at first.

But it's easier to use short formulaic expressions, such as good morning. Try the easiest thing first. Then, try more difficult things. The point is to try step by step.

2 Don't aim at perfection

Don't aim at perfection. Many children with selective mutism seem to be perfectionists.

3 Don't try too hard

Last, but not least, don't try too hard. Some Japanese SM current and former sufferers say they tried hard to overcome selective mutism, but that caused their conditions to worsen.

[limitation]

The first limitation of this method is difficulty in setting up suitable situations for speaking step by step by myself.

Another limitation is that it's time consuming.

[References]

Uchiyama, K. (1959). Studies on the childhood mutism 2 -therapeutic procedures- The Kitakanto Medical Journal, 9, 786-799.

How to overcome selective mutism by myself (1)

I've read many books that refer to treatment for selective mutism. But as far as I know, all of them are for parents, teachers, and professionals, not for current and former sufferers of selective mutism. I don't know why. But I suppose one possible reason is that professionals think selective mutism should be treated by parents, teachers, and professionals, not by themselves. Another reason is that publishers and professionals think many sufferers are young children who can't read difficult books.

Browsing Japanese websites, I sometimes find former sufferers who overcome selective mutism by themselves. Some former sufferers blame current sufferers who don't make enough effort to overcome selective mutism.

I also have had strong interest in how to overcome selective mutism without relying on other people for some reason. I don't know why, but I think Japanese sufferers tend to cope with their disorders by themselves (But at the same time, there are many sufferers who don't take actions to cope with their disorders).

So, I try to write how to overcome selective mutism by myself. But I recommend not trusting in what I write, because I am not a professional. In addition, I don't know whether this method is really effective.

(To be continued)

Must I overcome selective mutism?

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Chapter 5 Selective mutism and my high school years

Must I overcome selective mutism?

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[Regular exam]

My long-term goal was to enter a prestigious college. In order to achieve the goal, at the very least I had to get good grade in regular exam.

I achieved the goal to some extent. I was almost always second or third in my class (about 40 students were in my class). But I could hardly get the top marks. At the top was almost always A, the most beautiful girl in my class. So, one of my goal became to get higher mark than A in regular exam.

Before long A and I got acquainted with each other. I couldn't talk to A since I had selective mutism, but A talked to me. I made friends with her.

[Must I overcome selective mutism?]

When I was sophomore, I became a little wiser.

I wondered whether I should overcome selective mutism (I didn't know selective mutism at that time. I thought I couldn't speak because of my personality. So, to me, overcoming selective mutism meant changing my personality).

It may be odd, but many classmates and teachers had liked me because I had been mute. In addition, as I wrote earlier, I thought my mutism was an identity. So, it was fearful for me to overcome selective mutism. Disappearing mutism meant I lose my identity.

Anyway, I thought I could not afford to overcome selective mutism. I was very busy to study to pass the entrance exam for college.

(To be continued)