Not Talking?

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Anyone get to the point that they just get exhausted talking and can no longer keep trying to bother?

I talked as a young kid, then I went very shy and quiet for a period of time, not sure how long but I wouldn't talk to Social workers, Counsellors and so on at one point, I had a nasty experience that I think sparked it off.

I was sexually assaulted by a Turkish guy when I was around thirteen or fourteen and I dont know what happened but I spoke at home abit, but I stopped talking to anyone else really, stopped talking at school and used to hide my face all the time, I even hid from my Mam and StepDad and Sister and found it so hard.

I thought at one point that everyone seemed tot hink it very bad for me not to talk and people tried to get me to, so I thought I was getting better so to speak with my shyness and whatever else was going on.

Recently lots has been happening as ever (seems like one massive stream after another) and more and more often over the past couple of years I've felt myself exhausted when trying to talk, it really wouldn't be a hassle to me now if I never spoke another word to most people. Is this a really abd thing to say because I dont know?

I've done some work with radio stations and TV in the past and took part in an award winning series by one radio station which I did on a certain issue (not anything related to this) to try and help other people going through the same things, to help them, by making sure they know they aren't alone, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. So I do know talking has done some good in my life, and of course seing the psych I've had to talk, also write too, but that was good aswel because it sped things up and whatnot, but I really, really dont feel liek I can keep talking anymore.

I get up and I dont think about it, it's not like I think 'today I'm not talking' it's just that I just go to talk sometimes and I just dont have the energy. I always land up in trouble, always get moaned at, people take the things I say in a different way, they get annoyed at me for not understanding them or even questioning them if I dont and well I'm just sick of having to explain myself all the damn time too.

I dont know if this is a bad thing to be talking about really, but does anyone else feel like this at times? I mean I'd never be silent because I do shout things out and make noises and things, but I really do not want to hold conversations with anybody anymore, I just dont think I can keep on forcing myself to open my trap to make myself talk to them.

Is this meaning that I'm going nuts or not? I did come across a peice about people with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) sometimes not talking to certain people at times, so maybe it's because of my SPD but I dont know many people with SPD so I've not managed to find out if they ever feel the same either or if it's just me losing my mind.

Wow, thank you for coming forward with this. I cannot say that I have experienced any of this first hand, but have you considered that you may have developed a social anxiety disorder, or had one to start with? PTSD may also play a part in your quasi-mute mannerisms after having been sexually assaulted. I am certainly no professional, and not in the least versed in the ways of the human mind (I do not even understand my own), but you said it yourself that it is important to make other feel as though they are not alone, and as such I just wanted to let you know that we are out there, and we can hear you regardless of your silence.

Absolutely. I get this less so than I used to, and again with me it might be PTSD (I was sexually abused as well). I definitely get 'non-talking' days. It also happened in my teens though, before that happened- I'd go almost catatonic. Now I quite enjoy my non talking days, they're really refreshing.

I get very tired of talking to people. Sometimes long periods of mutism help me relax. That's why I stay at home on my days off. Social environments tend to wear me down to the point where I can't even pronounce words properly when I am talking. I'm far more prone to thinking in pictures and not words. I see lots of images in my head when I'm reading, listening to music, or just plain thinking. Pictures and patterns are my brain's down time. Not going to a bar drinking and shearing jokes with friends. Sometimes I wish going out and spending time with my friends didn't feel like a huge chore. I wish I got the same level of pleasure as they do.

It goes in phases for me. When I'm depressed or feeling down, I really don't feel like talking much. I was in a relationship shortly, and I was having a good few months, and so I talked plenty the first few weeks. But then it almost felt as if we'd talked about most subjects, couldn't think of something to talk about, and I started going into a depression/anxiety funk. My boyfriend thought I was mad at him at first, because I'd be closing up and not talking, and I'd just be content to sit there, let him talk, or watch a movie and not say much. When I get in those funks, I don't want to get out of the house or do things. I didn't feel it was fair to him, so I broke it up with him.
Sometimes, I don't want to even talk when out in social situations to anyone, and I'm just quiet, because I tend to say things that end up offending people, others get rubbed the wrong way, etc, and so I don't want to talk because I'm afraid I'll say something I shouldn't.
I do better communicating writing down as well, so when I do want to socialise, online friends, and MMORPGS are great for me. I feel like I can be myself, and if I say something and they don't like me, it's not as if they're going to be in my life constantly, so if they don't like me, it won't affect me socially.
I also don't talk a whole because I don't know many people here with the same interests as me, who don't get offended with the occasional swear words popped in, or dirty jokes/inuendos. I'm pretty sure my grandparents think I'm a lot worse than I am, because whenever I'm around them, I don't talk or say much. I have nothing in common with them, and I'd only offend them.

I was sexually abused at a young age I didn't start to talk until I was five years old. Everyone thought I was mute growing up I also deal with PTSD.

Verbal conversations require a lot of effort for me. My natural state is to stay quiet for periods of time and randomly blurt out things (random observations like "Look, squirrel!" or random thoughts like "I wonder what would happen if..." or sometimes just ranting). I can be very verbal but an actual back-and-forth conversation is pretty exhausting so I'll sometimes just have days where I won't talk to anybody at all unless they ask me a question. I can come across as fairly normal if I try but I'm able to have much more enjoyable and coherent conversations through typing. It's just easier not to speak sometimes.

You could say that again!

I think part of what makes typing better is that it removes all the confusing bits like having to try and work out what their facial expression and tone of voice means and trying to regulate my own tone of voice and facial expressions so I don't accidentally do my creepy smile or talk too loud or any of the many other things I do that irritate people. It also allows more time to figure out a response. On forums it's more acceptable to take a long time to reply. For me, one of the most stressful things about face to face conversations is being expected to reply almost instantly.

It's difficult in verbal conversations because of that, and because of all the information coming at your brain at once. Not only are you having all that sensory information coming at you, but you're also having to process what they mean, what they are saying, and then what you have to say as well. Where if it's just text, you don't have as much sensory information attacking your brain at once, and you can respond easier without getting overwhelmed and too emotional.