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Can't talk.

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Coda
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15 Sep 2014, 5:47 pm

Unfortunately I've gone back to a very old bad habit of mine which is going completely mute in the presence of new people and also in the mornings until I feel 'safe' and 'relaxed' (usually by lunch time).

I have the ability to talk but it's like my mouth won't move to form the words. I want to talk but I can't. I've ended up having to use my PECs and communication apps which is annoying as I find it hard to get my point across using those.

I don't know how to stop this as I'm not voluntarily doing this. It's like when I have a meltdown and I scratch my hands and bang my head, it's like I have no control over my body.

Is anyone dealing with this? Is there anyway I can force myself to talk.


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progaspie
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15 Sep 2014, 6:02 pm

This may or may not help. Stand in front of a mirror holding a book or newspaper. Start reading the book saying the words aloud so that you can hear your voice. Do this for as long as you feel comfortable.



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15 Sep 2014, 6:40 pm

This happens to my daughter, though she is much younger than you ( 8 ). She said it is like the connection between her brain and her mouth is broken. She knows what she wants to say, but can't say anything. She can still write when this happens, so she writes instead of speaking.

For her, I thinking trying to talk only makes it worse. She usually needs time to balance out her nervous system in order to be able to speak again. Most often, she just needs time alone.

IOW, I think you will make yourself worse by trying to force yourself to talk.

I don't know if this applies to you as well, but my daughter has spans of time where she doesn't seem to have this happen, and then spans of time when it seems to happen much more frequently. I have always just figured it was related to some kind of developmental-timing thing. Maybe this will lessen on it's own in time for you too?


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15 Sep 2014, 9:50 pm

InThisTogether wrote:
This happens to my daughter, though she is much younger than you ( 8 ). She said it is like the connection between her brain and her mouth is broken. She knows what she wants to say, but can't say anything. She can still write when this happens, so she writes instead of speaking.

For her, I thinking trying to talk only makes it worse. She usually needs time to balance out her nervous system in order to be able to speak again. Most often, she just needs time alone.

IOW, I think you will make yourself worse by trying to force yourself to talk.

I don't know if this applies to you as well, but my daughter has spans of time where she doesn't seem to have this happen, and then spans of time when it seems to happen much more frequently. I have always just figured it was related to some kind of developmental-timing thing. Maybe this will lessen on it's own in time for you too?



I agree here I can relate try things that help you relax and cal. You and your system.


Which apps are you using?


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Marybird
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15 Sep 2014, 10:48 pm

That's happened to me before, but only after deliberately not talking for a while.
It's weird, but it's like I lose a connection in my brain just because I decide to not talk and then can't even force myself to start talking again.
I think I just get really withdrawn and get stuck there for a while.



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15 Sep 2014, 11:08 pm

Marybird wrote:
That's happened to me before, but only after deliberately not talking for a while.
It's weird, but it's like I lose a connection in my brain just because I decide to not talk and then can't even force myself to start talking again.
I think I just get really withdrawn and get stuck there for a while.

i can relate. longer i go without talking, the harder it is to start again. i can blurt out short, "stimmy" phrases, but actual meaningful conversations
i can also go for long silent periods non deliberately, doesn't really make a difference regarding difficulty of resuming conversation though.

it is the mornings that get most of us. :wink: i won't talk until i've had at least tome toast.

i nearly constantly have words buzzing around my head, most of them made up. hard to stop a word i don't mean to use from popping up when conversing.


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16 Sep 2014, 10:31 pm

I have that. They said it's called selective mutism....and it's caused by stress/anxiety. I mean you've heard the saying about someone being "speechless" in a situation....that's what it is for me. But I barely can talk even when I can talk so it's not a huge difference in my case.



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16 Sep 2014, 10:37 pm

EzraS wrote:
But I barely can talk even when I can talk .
Ezra, how does this actually work for you? Are you not able to talk much because you are physically unable to say many words? Can you explain it to me to help me understand?


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EzraS
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17 Sep 2014, 12:57 am

skibum wrote:
EzraS wrote:
But I barely can talk even when I can talk .
Ezra, how does this actually work for you? Are you not able to talk much because you are physically unable to say many words? Can you explain it to me to help me understand?


Well was severely autistic when little so didn't start talking until around 8 because of that. And also have apraxia of speech. So yeah, physically unable to talk fluidly. That's probably why I've made a bazillion posts in all my forums :P



Coda
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17 Sep 2014, 2:15 am

Kiprobalhato wrote:
i can relate. longer i go without talking, the harder it is to start again. i can blurt out short, "stimmy" phrases, but actual meaningful conversations
i can also go for long silent periods non deliberately, doesn't really make a difference regarding difficulty of resuming conversation though.

it is the mornings that get most of us. :wink: i won't talk until i've had at least tome toast.

i nearly constantly have words buzzing around my head, most of them made up. hard to stop a word i don't mean to use from popping up when conversing.


Yeah, I find that the longer I go without talking, the less able I am to actually talk. I do say small words but trying to string a sentence together is near impossible when I'm in my mute mode.

Strangely, when I'm in my house in the mornings I'm perfectly fine. It's when I leave the 'comfort zone' and enter the big wide world that my vocal cords fail me and my confidence runs away.

I actually have my own language, the written words are a mix between Japanese and Russian and the vocal part sounds like a mix between Finnish and Swedish. A few people in my old school were concerned, mainly the therapists but over time they got used to it. My only problem was that sometimes I'd forget I was doing school work and would use it.


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Coda
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17 Sep 2014, 2:22 am

InThisTogether wrote:
This happens to my daughter, though she is much younger than you ( 8 ). She said it is like the connection between her brain and her mouth is broken. She knows what she wants to say, but can't say anything. She can still write when this happens, so she writes instead of speaking.

For her, I thinking trying to talk only makes it worse. She usually needs time to balance out her nervous system in order to be able to speak again. Most often, she just needs time alone.

IOW, I think you will make yourself worse by trying to force yourself to talk.

I don't know if this applies to you as well, but my daughter has spans of time where she doesn't seem to have this happen, and then spans of time when it seems to happen much more frequently. I have always just figured it was related to some kind of developmental-timing thing. Maybe this will lessen on it's own in time for you too?


When I'm in my 'mute mode' I don't really have the ability to write out what I want to say, I would if I could but my body feels all rigid and doesn't want to cooperate with my brain. I'm kinda stuck with my communication cards and my iPad.

I've tried to force myself to talk in the past and it managed to make it worse, I ended up not speaking for the whole day.

This used to happen all the time 2 years ago and I though I got rid off it but it happened last year when I started college for the first time but it only lasted for the first week but things haven't been going well at college and it's made it worse. I'm hoping it'll go soon but right now, it doesn't look like it will.


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17 Sep 2014, 5:50 am

EzraS wrote:
skibum wrote:
EzraS wrote:
But I barely can talk even when I can talk .
Ezra, how does this actually work for you? Are you not able to talk much because you are physically unable to say many words? Can you explain it to me to help me understand?


Well was severely autistic when little so didn't start talking until around 8 because of that. And also have apraxia of speech. So yeah, physically unable to talk fluidly. That's probably why I've made a bazillion posts in all my forums :P

Does it help you communicate to post a lot? I've wondered if maybe it makes a difference IRL for me.



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17 Sep 2014, 8:53 am

EzraS wrote:
skibum wrote:
EzraS wrote:
But I barely can talk even when I can talk .
Ezra, how does this actually work for you? Are you not able to talk much because you are physically unable to say many words? Can you explain it to me to help me understand?


Well was severely autistic when little so didn't start talking until around 8 because of that. And also have apraxia of speech. So yeah, physically unable to talk fluidly. That's probably why I've made a bazillion posts in all my forums :P
Thank you Ezra. That helps me understand.


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17 Sep 2014, 8:25 pm

I hate this so much. My vision sometimes blurs and I can't see what is in front of me anymore.


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17 Sep 2014, 11:34 pm

Coda wrote:
Kiprobalhato wrote:
i can relate. longer i go without talking, the harder it is to start again. i can blurt out short, "stimmy" phrases, but actual meaningful conversations
i can also go for long silent periods non deliberately, doesn't really make a difference regarding difficulty of resuming conversation though.

it is the mornings that get most of us. :wink: i won't talk until i've had at least tome toast.

i nearly constantly have words buzzing around my head, most of them made up. hard to stop a word i don't mean to use from popping up when conversing.


Yeah, I find that the longer I go without talking, the less able I am to actually talk. I do say small words but trying to string a sentence together is near impossible when I'm in my mute mode.

Strangely, when I'm in my house in the mornings I'm perfectly fine. It's when I leave the 'comfort zone' and enter the big wide world that my vocal cords fail me and my confidence runs away.

I actually have my own language, the written words are a mix between Japanese and Russian and the vocal part sounds like a mix between Finnish and Swedish. A few people in my old school were concerned, mainly the therapists but over time they got used to it. My only problem was that sometimes I'd forget I was doing school work and would use it.

i can speak better in the mornings if i'm alone, which is rare.

i'm in the earlyish stages of making my own language(s) too, with heir own short histories, lexicon, grammar...it's hard.
i've developed the complete writing system for one what apparently looks like a mix of Arabic and Gallifreyan. it's goten some comments from concered staff too, i scrawl it everywhere.

the spoken part is incomplete but the sound's i've accumulated will give it sort of a nasal, Hebrew, French, Japanese fusion using length to distinguish some consonants.

might be off topic but to you mind describing your language some more? i'm interested. :P


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הכי, הכי עמוקים
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EzraS
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18 Sep 2014, 12:51 am

Waterfalls wrote:
EzraS wrote:
skibum wrote:
EzraS wrote:
But I barely can talk even when I can talk .
Ezra, how does this actually work for you? Are you not able to talk much because you are physically unable to say many words? Can you explain it to me to help me understand?


Well was severely autistic when little so didn't start talking until around 8 because of that. And also have apraxia of speech. So yeah, physically unable to talk fluidly. That's probably why I've made a bazillion posts in all my forums :P

Does it help you communicate to post a lot? I've wondered if maybe it makes a difference IRL for me.


Have been told I communicate better since I started doing this a year ago. Not really speaking that much more, but overall communication with expressing myself more effectively and acknowledging stuff said to me better. My new therapist is blown away with all the posting I have done, he acted really excited about it and said it was a real breakthrough.