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?

[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)

Mutism identity

One Japanese psychiatrist proposed a concept "mutism identity" in his paper (Araki, 1979).

If children with selective mutism continue to be mute, some of them finally think living with mutism is a lifestyle they elect (mutism identity), for instance, "I decided to do nothing to creative until I got to be able to speak. (case 22)"

I can partly sympathize with him. When I had selective mutism, I gradually thought my mutism was an identity.

That was a hindrance for me to overcome my selective mutism, because suppose my mutism was an identity, disappearing mutism meant I lose my identity. So, it was fearful for me to overcome selective mutism.

But I didn't know selective mutism at that time. If I knew I didn't speak because I suffered from an anxiety disorder "selective mutism," maybe I didn't think my mutism was an identy. But I would have thought my mutism was a kind of mental illness that could be treated.

This is just my case. I don't know whether other children or young people with prolonged mutism also think mutism as their identity.

[Reference]

Araki, F. (1979). Some psychopathological observations on mutism originating in childhood. Japanese Journal of Child Psychiatry, 20(5), 290-304.

Index of SM in Japan

"Silent Children - Approaches to Selective Mutism" is translated into Japanese

Bamen kanmoku heno approach, a new Japanese book and DVD about selective mutism, was published on March 31.

The book is a collection of writings by many authors, such as Chair of Smira (Selective Mutism Information and Research Association), parents, a special education specialist, a professor emeritus at an university, and so on.

And the DVD accompanying the book is the first Japanese DVD devoted to selective mutism, as far as I know.

The book and DVD is a Japanese translation of Silent Children - Approaches to Selective Mutism, written and produced by SMIRA in conjunction with Leicester University Department of Education.

SMIRA is a UK based support group for children with selective mutism, their parents and so on.

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Also in Japan, there are two support groups established within a few years. Knet, one of them, translated Silent Children with the help of SMIRA.

Until recently, there was only one Japanese book written by professionals that made selective mutism the main theme. The book is Bamen Kanmokuji no Shinri to Shido (Psychology and guidance of children with selective mutism), published in 1994.

In 2007, a Canadian book Helping your child with selective mutism was translated into Japanese and published. Association of Selective Mutism in Japan, another support group in Japan, was concerned in the publication.

In 2008, Knet wrote Bamen kanmoku Q & A (What is Selective Mutism?).

Half of them is translation. I think that is because Japan have few know-how about selective mutism.

Index of SM in Japan

Teachers and classes (2)

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Chapter 5 Selective mutism and my high school years

Teachers and classes (2)

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[Japanese class]

There were two types of Japanese classes. One was contemporary writings. The other was classic literature. My homeroom teacher taught contemporary writings.

As in the case of English classes, teachers assigned us preparation. We had to solve problems about contemporary writings or translate classic language into current one. I did so and read answers and translations I thought in advance when I asked to do so by teachers in class.

[Japanese history class]

As in the case of English classes, keeping the habit of keeping eye contact with teachers, Japanese history teacher also found me and got close to me.

[A PE teacher]

I was surprised to see my PE teacher at the first PE lesson. I had once seen him when I was freshman in high school. He also remembered me.

In addition to selective muitsm, I had some complex. I was weak in sports. But he was interested in me and friendly talked me. He called me "Tomi-chan" with affection. I had not known such a PE teacher.

* chan is a Japanese suffix.
Japanese honorifics
(New window open)

One odd thing for me is that he sometimes talked about love when he talked to me. He sometimes talked about A, the most beautiful girl in my class. It seemed to me that he wanted me to be interested in the opposite sex. I guessed that he saw me as a boy who was deeply interested in study but not in girls. So, maybe he felt anxious for my future. I felt anxious in another way. I was not interested in A. If my classmates heard the conversation, they may think that I loved A. What is worse, if the classmates told A that Tomishige loved A, I was misunderstood even by A.

(To be continued)

Index of SM story