Depression Support Group

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Selective mutism?

Mypigjava
Mypigjava

Sometimes when I get upset or depressed, I can't bring myself to talk. It happens a lot during therapy sessions. My therapist will ask me something and I have to resort to texting it.


Does anyone else have this issue? Does it have a name? 

gwiggle
gwiggle
I don't know about it having a name (I'm sure it does), but I experience this, too. When I can't talk about something with my boyfriend out loud, I usually text him, and I write out notes to my therapist when I can't talk about how I'm feeling. I think it's super normal, especially if you're experiencing some trauma. It can be really hard to talk about a lot of things, and I think it is really awesome and brave of you to be able to communicate those things with your therapist, because you're getting the help you need. xoxo
actuallynervous
actuallynervous
I experience something a little different. I can always talk to my doctors, even when it’s the worst ugliest stuff, but I have trouble with small talk. Not all the time, just when I’m at my worst. The effort of trying to discuss the weather when I can only think about suicide is too taxing and I have to switch to nodding and writing things down, though I’ll usually just hide instead. Not sure if either way has a name.
Community LeaderThePepperMan
ThePepperMan
I think you coined a perfect name for it! Go with it, tell your therapist that you have it as part of your package, and that you will need to use things like written notes and texts to communicate.

Even if you are sitting right next to her/him!
Mypigjava
Mypigjava
I didn't coin that name tho, I'm wondering if what I feel/go thru would be considered selective mutism.
arfie
arfie
"Psychosomatic Mutism" is the name I got from my own psych charts. I stutter dramatically when I attempt to push my way past it.
Mypigjava
Mypigjava
Wow. Yeah, I trip over my words when I fight thru it. It's easier to not talk or just write things down.
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