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I really struggle to connect with others. I use my phone to type stuff out, but I never really have an opportunity to talk. I feel like the closest I can get with people is finding someone who likes to talk a lot, and I can gradually get to know them that way, but they never get to know me because I talk too slow. Even if they say they are comfortable waiting for me, they always seem to feel like it’s a hassle and I have to condense everything into the fewest words I can for them which kind of squeezes out my personality. I am already a very socially awkward person and not being able to ask questions or clarification makes me so useless in situations with other people I often feel like a dumb dog who can only smile and do what I’m told. I feel like I have tried everything I can to communicate better with people and am still completely isolated. I know being lonely when you are mute is normal but it’s made me so deeply depressed I really struggle just to keep going.

If you are mute and feel comfortable sharing, could you tell me if you have felt like this or if you are able to cope somehow and be happy? Thanks for reading. Sorry it’s a bit of a vent😑

Hi everyone! I'm an aspiring author and I had a question. I thought of a really cool character and she is mute (born, not injured). The thing is that it takes place in a magical setting (not "magic can fix anything" setting but there is magic available) and I wanted to ask:

If you could, would you want to communicate telepathically or would it annoy you that people refuse to learn sign language and instead rely on YOU to bridge the gap? I am not personally mute but I feel like it would be really demeaning for everyone to insist that you bridge the gap but I can also see the appeal of basically having a silent voice that beams into someone else's mind. Not everyone can cast magic so there would be dead and mute people who CAN'T do it but this character more than likely can (I haven't FULLY fleshed her out yet, still weighing my options)

Any advice or things you think I should know before writing this character would be welcome, I want her to be a good representation not just what someone projects another person to be like.

i'm not physically mute, but away from home i cannot talk no matter how much i try, the words just won't leave my throat, i've been trying to get a job for ages but i can't, i get rejected from even the most basic positions and i just don't know what to do or where to look

Hello there! I'm autistic with PTSD and go nonverbal in high stress situations, but am not fully mute. My personal experience with nonverbal states has inspired me to want to make an existing original character from a story of mine unable to speak verbally.

That being said, I know mutism comes in many different forms, and while I have done some research I find that doesn't always capture true personal experiences. I wanted to ask if this is realistic:

My idea was for him to be mute his entire life. He is able to hear. He would speak in sign language. He would also be developmentally "average" in other ways aside from mental health difficulties having suffered traumatic experiences in his life. He will never speak but can make noises.

I also have some other questions!

-are there any resources you would recommend for me to learn more about the experiences and life of a mute person (other than this sub of course)?

-is there a particular category of mutism I should be reading up on for this, assuming it could be an accurate depiction based on the description above?

-Feel free to share your experiences with me if you are comfortable doing so!

Thank you in advance!!

1. what caused you to be mute?
2. is the damage reverrsible or permanent?
3. how do you feel about your condition?
4. is there a case where a person is mute from birth and is still mute in present day?
5. how hard is it to learn the ASL and how practical it is compared to typing?

No, I didn’t have a vow of silence, no I didn’t want to not talk, none of that.

Two weeks ago I just wasn’t able to talk anymore, and that was that. I’ve since been able to mutter exactly three words, but besides that nothing (these weren’t words I wanted to say, and was more word vomit). I saw a neurologist this morning and to me it was a bullshit appointment that has left me so upset.

He basically said it was all psychogenic and was from a traumatic event that happened almost a year ago, that I have supposedly until two weeks ago, been fine with. This is bullshit to me. I don’t think an event that happened 8 months ago could have caused my mutism that happened two weeks ago. It just isn’t logical to me. He also told me to start practicing in the mirror and take up singing. Even though I can’t speak at all and can’t sing at all either. It was just all really frustrating.

My gut is definitely telling me this is more than just something psychogenic, and I don’t know what to believe. A random doctor or my gut? I don’t know if I’ll ever know.

I’ve found ways to communicate. I use an AAC device and texting and it’s working out great for me right now, I just feel like I’m so stuck on with what this doctor said. It’s just been a rough two weeks.

So, to be clear, I am nonverbal, myself. I've always found comfort in VRChat because of how much more accepting of an environment it is for people who don't/can't speak verbally. I brought it up once in a comment here and it seems like there are a few people here who don't see it the same way, and I'm curious why this is. Is it because of people who just... Choose not to speak, and thus call themselves mute when they are not irl? Or because of the term 'mute' being used as a noun regularly there?

I apologise if this is worded strangely, my thoughts are everywhere and I struggle with words, anyway. ^^'

is it bad I want to go mute?? i already have selective mutism but I feel like things would be better if I was completely mute so people would understand more, and because generally it's hard for me to speak.

I was diagnosed with selective mutism when I was pretty young, but more I read about it the more I’m not sure how accurate it is.

For me, it’s not an anxiety thing. It’s like, any intense emotion, like anger, or happiness and also fear but, not just fear, that triggers the mutism. For example, getting in a heated argument and suddenly my mouth just, can’t move. Like, my tongue and mouth and throat just stop. It’s like something in between my brain and my mouth just misfire. If I’m given enough time, I can start to get my mouth to form the first syllable of what I want to say, but it takes a lot of rehearsal.

It’s infuriating and frustrating because there’s so much I want to say, I just can’t get my voice, or mouth or tongue to work. I’ll be fine and talking one minute, and then I’ll get too excited about something and my mouth just, peace’s out.

Is this what other people w selective mutism experience??? Has anyone else experienced this?? Thank you in advance for reading this btw

I lost the ability to speak over a year ago. At first typing everything didn't really bother me. I decided to start learning ASL as a back up. As I got better at ASL, typing became more and more cumbersome. ASL is so much easier and faster and I get to express my emotions more (which I love doing). Typing has become exhausting. To the point where I started limiting the time I spend with friends because typing just isn't worth it to me. Theyre upset at me, they are of the opinion that since they're willing to wait for me to type, I shouldn't be having an issue. They are taking it as a personal attack. They know how I feel about ASL vs Typing. I wish I didn't hate typing as much as I do.

I don't know if I am the only one that feels this way about typing, or if I am the one in the wrong. Any suggestions or people that relate would be helpful.

I don’t know where else to post this so I’m just gonna post it here. My mom says that I don’t want to be mute but for some reason I have always wanted to be mute I don’t know why is it weird or no?

Both my parents we're raised in a very conservative Christian church/community. They were in an arranged marriage at 14 and 15, had me at 19 & 20. My grandfather was the pastor at one point, but when he passed my dad kinda lost it and went mia when I was 5.

At 29 my mom came out as gay, we lived with my grandparents so she was told to leave, shunned by the church and only community we've known. It was me & mom then against the world. I was either right by her side as she experienced a new world, or at home alone. By age 11 I was mostly home alone while my mom worked 2 jobs from 6am-10pm m-f. She did her very best for us. So I always wanted to be a "good kid" don't ask for anything, don't complain, always took care of mom when she got home, listen to her problems and worries. I learned how to be responsible very young, but I was so isolated from the world.

We were poor so we didn't have cable, or Internet, never went on weekend trips or vacations, so I'd just go to school and come home. I ended up becoming afraid of going into stores or around other people outside of family.

I stopped talking by 10th grade, physical speaking feels uncomfortable. And I can never find the correct pitch or volume for my voice. And when words do come out they're either incoherent or confusing to others 🤦🏽‍♀️ damn.... I can write just fine, but any kind of human/social contact and my brain evaporates.

I met my now husband at age 20, so that's when I started experiencing the world, learning new things, but the things I had to unlearn was rough.... I'd hide in closets, under desk, just anywhere out of sight, had lots of panic attacks, self harm by scratching myself with my nails when I was nervous. I finally learned what anxiety and depression was and started going to therapy and seeing a psychiatrist. I couldn't have improved so much without the help of my husband and his family who are HUGE mental health advocates.

Now I'm 25, I've imported SO much, but in social situations I can't really relate to others on a personal level as I haven't had the same life experiences growing up, and I'm still naive in some things so there's lots I don't know or fully understand.... This is where I still feel isolated even after working so diligently on my mental health and communication skills.

Howdy folks,

I just had to share my good news with someone that understands. Thanks to treatments for head & neck cancer (mostly radiation) and the surgeries to remove the dead mandible (jawbone) caused by radiation, I haven't been able to speak clearly since the early to mid-2000s. Haven't been able to speak at all beginning maybe 3 years ago.

It's been a frustrating ride, as I'm sure you're all aware. I was sick to death of having my wife make phone calls for me. Same went for work before I retired. Humans are humans, and whoever was tapped to read my chat responses to a group in meetings would often "interpret" my words, which drove me NUTS.

Anyway, I found out that version iOS 17 (and up) on my iPhone has a new Live Speech feature in the Accessibility settings. It's the "text-to-speech over a phone call" I've been pining for since my cancer mess first occurred. Fiddled around with it at home by calling my wife. We got some wicked feedback as we were in the same room. But Monday, I decided to try and reschedule a doctor's appointment I needed to move and it worked! The person doing scheduling said they could understand everything that came through just fine and it wasn't speaking too fast or slow.

The big treat came when I got our son on a Facetime call. Pretty much blew his mind.

That's it. Just wanted to share.

Would it be weird to tell a potential employer before a job interview that I have selective mutism and just explain it a little and ask them to be patient if I hesitate before answering a a question? I've read that you shouldn't bring up disabilities and accommodations you might need until you get the job, but I feel like SM is different since it directly impacts how the interview might go and how I'm percieved during it. I'm usually very awkward in job interviews

Hello. I'm not sure if it's the right community to ask but it seems to be the closest.

My girlfriend is american and I'm from a non english speaking country. I am also very self conscious about my voice and even more when I have to speak english. She is fine with my typing but recently we figured out we could use a TTS when she's at work and doesn't always have her hands or cannot look at the screen. For now I'm using Noise-O-Matic which works great and is easy set up as my mic. I tried to couple it with Voicemod to try and get a less robotic voice so it's more pleasant for her and I but only I am able to hear the modified voice by VoiceMod while she still hears the robotic voice from Noise-O-Matic.

Is anyone in a similar situation and has found a way to make it work or knows another app that would do that? I can't use stuff like Elevenlabs because I need the voice to be fast.

Thanks in advance for the answer.

so I want to stop talking. I find talking really exhausting and limiting compared to text and I really don't like it. sometimes I feel okay about it, especially if it's with someone I'm close with, and I have more energy, but other times I really hate it. and I like having other people talk to me, but I just don't like talking myself. I've told my queer platonic friend about this and she's fine with just talking in calls on discord while I type in the chat. I find that I'm a lot more capable to comfortably express myself that way. I wish I could do this with more of my friends and family, and most people actually. often find myself wishing that I, and everyone else knew sign language, so I would never have to say a word.

I'm a bit confused by these feelings. it's not that I have selective mutism or something because there's never a point where I physically cannot make myself speak, it's more that I find it uncomfortable to, so I'd rather not. I'm not trying to be offensive to people who are actually mute and can't speak, or pretend that I have a disability that I don't just to be lazy, and I apologise if I come off that way and would like to be educated more if that is the case. I guess I'm just kind of wondering why I'm like this, or if it's even okay to be like this. I've noticed most people I've told about these feelings don't feel this way.

I got a question guys can anyone tell me how should I start acting mute , and also the doctors get convinced?? And tell my family that I will be mute for life time now and lost my ability to talk , is there anyway please tell me and help mee ......

I’m really bad at communicating with others, even my own family. I feel really misunderstood because of this. I am a very awkward person and I get called boring often. I’ve recently gone mute because I get very anxious to the point where my mind goes blank and I can’t say anything. I never have anything to say to anyone, therefore someone will always have to talk to me first. I always end up acting uninterested in what the other person has to say even though I do care but don’t know how to act.

If I ever did say anything in the past, verbally, it came out as stupid and people misunderstood me. I am so lonely and no one around me understands, even though I try so hard to explain it to them.

No one ever wants to hangout with me. I don’t like talking much I prefer to sit in silence without it being awkward. I’ve been severely depressed because of this. I haven’t left bed in months and have no motivation to do anything. It’s so bloody hard and I wish I wasn’t like this.

Forgot to mention I have severe social anxiety.

So for context I got into a really bad car crash just a month ago and I had done damage to my head (a closed head injury) and I had become mute and I find it kinda hard to adjust back to my old life when I could speak I just need some tricks and stuff to help communicate with others

Hey all. I am a student developing Sign Language Translation Gloves as a project.

With a glove like this, you could use sign language and speak what you wish to, without having to worry if the next person knows or understands ASL.

From my perspective it looks like a really useful invention, but I wanted to know the opinions of people from this community.

If it's well built ( minimalist and sleek and not clunky with wires ) Would you find such a device useful in your daily life ?

I'm exploring communication experiences and would love your insights for a PECS app in the works. Your thoughts can help shape something unique.

[Survey Link Here]

Share your thoughts on what works best. It's fast and easy, and your input means a lot!

Join the survey here: [Non-Verbal Individual Survey]

Feel free to share with others. Thanks for being part of this!

Hi everyone,

This is my first ever Reddit post…so my apolgies if I do this wrong!

My MIL has Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer and had a trach placed. This has left her unable to speak so she has been communicating with a clipboard and pen…which is taped to a string. I’m just wondering if there is something better that I can get for her that would help her with communicating.

She’s 74 and not too great with technology, but do you have any good ideas for her??

Thank you!!

i met recently a deaf mute guy and i wanna communicate with him. Any good apps/websites to help me learn sign language? Thanks!

1. ⁠iPhones: iOS 17 introduced a text to speech feature called "Live Speech," which allows users to convert text to speech during phone calls and in-person interactions. It also enables users to program their voice to be the "text to speech voice." I believe it’s iPhone 12 and newer.

2.   ⁠Galaxy phones (Samsung): Samsung's Galaxy phones have a "Text call" feature that allows users to type out responses during a phone call, which is then spoken out loud to the other person. I believe it’s only the newer Galaxy phones from S21 and up.

3.    ⁠Google Pixel phones: Starting from Pixel 6, Google Pixel phones also include a text to speech feature similar to the one found on iPhones and Galaxy phones during phone calls.

I use it on my iPhone 13 mini. It’s been a life saver since I damaged my voice last year!

I’m so thankful these are features that are being focused on. Thank you Apple!!!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQcIXb1R04IUpyRoe6aXzzYG82vnKWBVZnb-YIh96hj4fENw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Hi all,

I am researching about issues faced by mute and deaf people while using Voice assistance and would love to hear from you and collect insights. 

It would be highly appreciated if your could give us just five minutes of your time.

I am recently become a full time partially mute. I am having a really hard time coping with the isolation. I am wondering if you have any tips on how to cope with the isolation and loneliness.

Since no one really talks to me because of my mutism, I just am inside my own head most of the time. I try to text people online and make friends that way, but its still hard. If I am in groups or social gatherings, I am almost always completely dissociated or just day dreaming. Can anyone else relate?