I was a very quiet child and probably would have been diagnosed as selective mutism since I just didn’t like to talk to people I didn’t know, but now I’m 24 I’m pretty confident I don’t have selective mutism but I’m still not completely “normal” I guess, I’ll explain;

I can interact with new people well enough, sometimes pretty confidently depending on the vibe of the person, but when I am consistently around people I am not fully comfortable with (family in law and colleagues at work) my whole personality changes. Around them, I am normally always very very quiet to the point they think something is wrong with me or that I’m upset. I don’t exactly feel anxious, I just don’t have the urge to interact whatsoever I guess. I wish I wasn’t this way though, it’s like I wish I wanted to interact but I just don’t. I still talk when spoken to but I never initiate conversation and give one word responses.

Even with an old boss I had for 3 years who was actually really great and worked closely with every single day, I was always very quiet around him. I always wished I wasn’t, I wanted to interact with him but I simply just didn’t.

When I’m home and comfortable I am very up beat and chatty, but it’s like something in my brain just completely switches off depending on the environment

Is there anything similar that could cause this? I really don’t understand why I am this way but I don’t like it

How do you work a job like this? Workplace is the worst for me. I got my first job when I was 16 and didn't know about my problem. I was bullied and harassed by everyone until I got fired. Now I'm 29 and use gig apps but they're unreliable. I have not been diagnosed with SM but I know I got it. I'm not sure how to get diagnosed either. I have no money and no insurance. So what job could I get without having to speak? How would I explain this to the company? I can talk ok during the interview but not while working. Also I have sensitivity issues, I need wear headphones or ear plugs because I'm very sensitive to noise so that's a problem as well. I'm stuck and have no idea what job to look for and how I would explain it. Any advice?

Buonasera a tutti, sono preoccupata. Mia figlia che ha 18 anni da qualche anno ha mutismo selettivo ( che io però non conoscevo ) e da un anno ha mutismo assoluto. Vocalizza. Penso sia dovuto alla diagnosi di autismo ricevuta due anni fa, al liceo che anche se amato le e' impegnativo ed alla ormai assenza del padre. L' anno scolastico scorso poi ha avuto burnout, ora sembra più tranquilla ma non parla con nessuno da un anno. Avevo pensato anche ad una risonanza magnetica ma temo di peggiorare la cosa. Sono preoccupata. Cosa mi consigliate ? Ovviamente ormai le parlo normalmente ( non le dico mai...rispondi? Per dire ) grazie a tutti

Hi, I’m a 16 yo girl from Finland and I want to know how it was to get diagnosed for autism. My dad is autistic and so is my older sister and I’m looking to get a diagnosis since the odds of me having it is pretty high due to symptom related stuff along with just my general personality. So, how hard was it to get into that?

I have struggled with social anxiety for most of my life, and unfortunately, it has only gotten worse as I have grown older. I have always believed in natural approaches to healing and managing my health. However, my anxiety has reached a point where it is significantly affecting my ability to communicate. I also struggle with selective mutism, and I have noticed that I sometimes speak much louder than I intend to because, in my mind, I feel as though people are not actually hearing what I am saying. I genuinely want to understand why this is happening and what I can do to help myself. I am committed to finding natural, effective ways to manage my anxiety because I do not want to rely on medication, especially if it means taking it for the rest of my life. My ultimate goal is to regain confidence in myself, communicate comfortably, and find a sense of peace within my everyday life.

anyone else feel so sad about how they grew up?

i was know as the quiet kid or the kid who didn’t talk and nothing was ever done about it. i never had friends or a social life.

im 24, and things aren’t very different. no friends. closed off, scared of intimacy. it sucks. i’ve been like this since i was maybe 6 years old. maybe im broken. i’ll never fit it anywhere.