Sounds exactly like me. I didn't say anything at school until maybe the 3rd grade. I think that caused me to be shy now and why I find it so difficult to break out of. I got picked on a lot and called names when I was little and at recess I would just walk around by myself because I didn't feel comfortable going up to other kids and playing with them. It really makes me wonder why no one thought to help me, like my parents or teachers. I tend to put the plan on them when I'm really upset about my shyness because I feel like it could have been avoided if they would have helped me break out of it earlier. Now I'm faced to deal with it myself and I don't think I have the strength to overcome it.

Its comforting to hear that Im not alone in these experiences.. I agree, Parents and Teachers have a duty to help, and its sad to hear that you did not get the help that you needed back then. What I find strange looking back on it is that my Parents never asked my why I didnt talk. They did know they just decided to ignore it in the hope that I would change. I do remember my Mother taking me to what must have been a Child Psychologist, but it did not make any difference the physiologist didnt really know what to do, and they never engaged me in any conversation as to why I didnt talk. It was a very strange experience to go through.

You dont have to deal with this on your own there are people who can help Ive had a number of challenging events happen to me recently and Ive found it very difficult to cope. Its kind of made me focus on why Im like the way I am and given me the impetus to try and change.. Ive started to see a counsellor who is helping me to look at things differently.

I have social anxiety and I am always down on myself and I am very shy. I think my bad experiences from school is why I am the way I am. It left me with a mental scar thats gonna take alot of time to heal.

I hardly talk to anyone when faced with a new situation...i need the time to get the feel of a new place and the people. Alot of times at school i wouldnt say boo to anyone and would tear up at the slightest comment i thought was negative or critical.

I'm not sure if I actually had that, but I did get left back in kindergarten because I was too shy. My teacher didn't think I spoke English and when she met with my parents, she learned that we only speak English. So they thought I would be cured by leaving me back. I always had a problem with shyness, but I don't think it was really selective mutism.

I am especially like that now. At school I hardly talk to anyone but when I'm at home or around younger kids I'm okay. I can talk away with my cousin Reily but I can't even talk to a teacher. I was like this too when I was younger. I never talked much in kindergarten either.

i literally stopped talking when i was 5 years old and this went on for about a year. i had all the tests under the sun run on me.. they thought i might be autistic or deaf, or something. i dont really remmeber what the result was, except that i saw some child therapist as a result. i hated going and soon learned to tell him what he wanted to hear so i woudlnt have to go back. i guess in the long run that didnt help out.

I was like that all through my entire school years up until high school.
I droped out because of my shyness.I think your link to the website is going to be enlightneing for me.

As a matter of fact I have been mute nearly my entire life.I have tried to attempt socailizing to the extremes even through parties but I never seem to be enough.I think I have found a big part of whats wrong with me.

My daughter has selective mutism. She use to not talk at school at all. Now she will talk some to her teachers and she has a few close friends. I feel really bad for her this year. She came home and told me that she has no friends in any of her classes. (She is in 7th grade) She cried. I really don't know what to do. I was told to let her see a therapist and we tried that but all they did was put her on Zoloft (not sure if I spelled that correct) but it didn't help. I found it useless to take her to see someone that she refused to talk to and all he did was want to give her drugs. I think that's a lot of problems with doctors these days, they think those meds are the only answers. I'd love some input from those of you that have dealt with this. I keep in contact with all of her teachers who are extremely helpful and understand. I do want her to come out of her shell but I don't know where or how to begin to help her. She was diagnosed with this 4 years ago.

i hear you on so much of this including holding onto the negative looks/comments etc from others. remember that there's nothing wrong with your shyness, and you deserve to be happy and healthy just like everyone else. you can do it. i wish you all the best as you continue to work through this.
scott

I know someone who consulted with Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W, and Associates. His website is www.socialanxiety.com

Her son is younger but he definitely benefited from the consultations. At his age, the parents were the ones who received advice about how to help him.

They did phone consultations because Jonathan Berent was too far away for office visits.

Good luck!

HI jjjones. Wow, this brought back memories. This selective mutism is something I heard only recently. No one helped me as a child either and honestly, the teachers made it worse.I think they would have considered a special school foe me also, but I was an honor studet. Thank goodness I was always running around and climbing trees and I had sports to fall back on, I cared no one talked to me, but didn't want anyone to stop me from playing. That kept me going until I graduated, that and music. If I didn't have sports I think I would have considered dropping out. The pressure from other people was too damn stressful. That is my similar experience.

I was diagnosed with SM in 2000, but it started at the age of three. I hate it, it completely ruined my life and I missed out on my entire childhood. I still have panic attacks over the most stupid things, the other day a group of kids got behind me at Wal Mart. Well, that was it for me, I shut down, couldn't move or talk, and cried from the frustration of it all.