Is selective mutism your enemy?

Most people think that selective mutism is enemy.

If children suffer from selective mutism, parents, teachers, therapists or physicians try to help them to overcome their mutism.

That is no exception in Japan. Many Japanese who once suffered or now suffer from selective mutism express their sufferings on their blogs or BBSes. They say, "overcome selective mutism," or "fight against selective mutism."

I can agree with them to some extent, because I also once suffered from selective mutism. So, I provide some information about treatment of selective mutism on my Japanese website The Selective Mutism Journal.

But I don't necessarily view my selective mutism as my enemy. I sometimes view it as a friend of mine. In addition, I view it as part of me. I think that is because I suffered from selective mutism about 10 years. I lead my life with anxiety. If someone said to me that selective mutism need to be treated when I suffered from it, I might felt depressed. I may have taken it to mean that mute children such as me should not live.

The view that selective mutism is enemy may relate to the philosophy of western medicine. Western medicine regard disease or disorder as enemy and combat them.

Good classmates

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Chapter 4 Selective mutism and my junior high school years

Good classmates

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As I mentioned earlier, a few classmates bullied me. But most classmates didn't. They cherished me. Although they didn't know the medical term "selective mutism," they understood that there were reticent children like me out there.

Soon after moving up to the eighth grade, O, my classmate girl from the seventh grade, showed me many kindnesses. In addition, Y and her friends, my new classmate girls took an interest in me and also showed me many kindness. After several months, Y and her friends made friends with me. But on the other hand, O avoided me for some reason. I guessed that O felt it was difficult to keep close relations with me, because Y and O were not so friendly with each other.

The most kind classmate boy was S. He always took care of me. For instance, when we went on a school trip, he grouped me together with him not to isolate me.

There were many other classmates who took a favorable attitude to me. I was blessed with good classmates.

(To be continued)

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This is the only English website devoted to providing information about SM in Japan

There are many Japanese who are interested in selective mutism. Some of them have their websites and transmit information about selective mutism across the Internet. But most of them are written in Japanese.

As far as I know, no Japanese create English websites about selective mutism except me. I guess that this is the only website devoted to providing information about selective mutism in Japan.

I can provide wrong information and lead people all over the world to believe that, because no one know accurate information about selective mutism in Japan. But I must not do such a thing. I should try to provide accurate information.

Unfortunately, I'm not good at English writing. I guess that some Japanese who are interested in selective mutism have a high command of English compared to me. But they don't seem to have an interest in creating English website. I write this blog not only to provide information about selective mutism in Japan, but also to increase my English writing skills.

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I love Enka!!!!!

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Chapter 4 Selective mutism and my junior high school years

I love Enka!!!!!

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When I was the eighth grade, I was attracted to Enka. Enka is a genre of Japanese popular song.

Enka (Wikipedia article)

It was odd, because Enka is popular among older people, not young people. None of my classmates probably liked Enka. They liked J-pop, J-Rock or Western music.

Why was I attracted to Enka?

[Sentimental and melancholy melody]

Many Enka melodies are sentimental and melancholy. That grabbed my interest. I thought that my childhood was tragedy rather than comedy.

[Life]

One important thema of Enka is life. Although I was a child, I often questioned the meaning of life.

[Isolation from children my age]

I felt that I was isolated from children my age since I'd had selective mutism. That seemed to arouse strange feelings.

I seemed to feel bitter hostility to children my age in my heart. So, I detested music they loved, such as J-pop, J-Rock or Western music. To me, these were evil music. My attention focused on music they didn't like, Enka. When I listened to Enka, I sometimes felt pleasure in listening to music that children my age aren't interested in.

(To be continued)

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