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)

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