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Hi, I’m wondering if anyone here has gone mute over time. My dad has some dementia and this week he keeps saying he’s losing his voice. He sounds normal to us, but he says it feels different to talk. I couldn’t get much more out of him. If someone has experienced the physical aspect of what it’s like to become mute over time, would you say this is the beginning? Can you describe the experience? Thank you in advance

https://forms.gle/oF3KCFrPWtoYQz8e8

About the survey: This survey is a project I have been working on to benefit activism and advocacy for our community. The goal of this survey is to better understand the experiences and needs of mute (or nonspeaking, etc.) people. I believe that obtaining numerical statistics about our experiences will be helpful for spreading awareness. My intention is to run this survey annually to track changing issues, with each year's survey being improved based on the outcomes of previous surveys.

Is there a dedicated device for typing to speech device? not those text scanners. a device with keyboard to type and say?

Hello. I am another one of those idiot writers writing a mute character. My character is completely mute from an injury. The story isn't about his muteness. It's about overcoming the past.

I wrote my character as mute as I believe it allows for a different perspective. I've never had the muteness be just because I found it funny or quirky. I'm not here to justify the character.

My question is mainly how mute people communicate. Google talks about assistant devices. I was wondering how practical that is for an adult, or if having a smart phone was easier? I have the character learn sign language. There is a love interest who learns sign as well because it's accepting someone will stay in the love interests life.

Essentially: are assistive technologies helpful? Is sign language a good idea? Would it be better for the text to speech from a smart phone?

I want the answer from a real person, so I thought maybe here would be a good start.

I am willing to answer questions about the character. His name is Simeon.

I have really really bad anxiety and it's awful. Most of the time outside of the house I can't talk at ALL unless I'm with someone I know and most of the time that's not the case, I'm like, scared and anxious and I can't get a word out without stuttering or being quiet, I don't know. I just can't speak unless I'm like, forced too. When a stranger approaches or asks me something I just can't. I can barely talk to waitresses/waitors. I can't even talk to people in VIDEO GAMES. Games where people DONT KNOW ME. Something's up with me but I don't know if it's selective mutism or something else. It's really a struggle. And it's hard to describe properly because I'm awful are wording, sorry

On top of this I feel like people in my life treats me like their emotional dumpster like I'm not a person outside of that.

Hello All!

This is my first post here and I've been wanting to do it for a while. I really hope this doesn't offend anyone (or get taken down, which if it does, sorry if I did anything wrong!)

I know you all must get this question a bunch so I'll break it into two parts or aspects.

Aspect 1:

I come from a household where talking is sometimes dangerous (and being quiet isn't much better). To the worst of the two evils, I find it quite difficult to talk to them, stammering, avoiding talking with them, intense fear if I speak, excess frustration if I have to speak to them, even more fear of the consequences. Generally, I find it easier and better to stay silent and not talk, it comes as naturally as breathing when I'm around this person. To the lesser of the two evils, I can converse a bit more freely but the moment it hits a personal subject, it's to the same impact, if not more.

Generally, I stammer a bunch in public but I would lump that more as a social anxiety (as I can talk the freest when out of my shell)

In the household, it's the opposite. I have little/no control of when the anxiety hits. It is usually paired with trying to leave the conversation ASAP and being a big doormat.

***NOTE: I am in the process of getting away from that household and looking for professional help so I am not in any immediate danger*****

Aspect 2:

It's a survival mechanism for me. I stay quiet because it makes it easier for me to read the people around me (and it's often paired with me reading bad vibes and feeling less and less likely to talk out). I have been considering going mute with the people completely as I struggle daily between 'talk up more, don't stay silent' and 'we hated what you had to say, shut up'. I feel more and more like using mutism is a safer option instead of getting constantly hurt by those around me. The difference is, I have a degree of control over this. Recently, I felt like becoming mute more and more but am unsure of whether I even qualify/have it/should consider it in the first spot. Is it wrong to say you are mute if you use mutism as a survival mechanism, as I see it hardly mentioned on this thread?

I want to clarify, I DO NOT WANT TO OFFEND ANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE MUTENESS, in whatever degree! I understand if what I am describing is nothing compared to the hell some of you must go through every day. Please just take this as a young adult trying to find their place in the world and be educated on the subject of muteness.

TLDR:

**Aspect 1:** I struggle with speaking due to anxiety and fear in a hostile household. I often stammer, avoid conversations, and feel intense fear and frustration. Talking about personal subjects is particularly difficult. I have better control over social anxiety in public but not at home.

**Aspect 2:** I view silence as a survival mechanism. Staying quiet helps me read people's moods and avoid negative reactions. I contemplate becoming mute as a safer option, balancing the desire to speak up with fear of criticism.

I emphasize my intention not to offend people with muteness and seek understanding about using mutism for self-protection.

yeah

Im not mute but in the past two or so years my speech has gotten noticeably way worse. Stuttering, not being able to get words out, tripping on what I say, talking being physically tiring, and somehow EVERY FUCKING THING I SAY sounds 10x less intelligent, fluent, or funny than it did in my head. Like oh my god. I consider myself not totally stupid but Jesus Christ my words always jumble together and usually I just give up mid sentence and sound stupid. Im just wondering if there’s any other speech/voice/talking related subs that I could get some answers as to why this is happening and what it could be from??

I am autistic and find speaking very difficult. I force myself to speak and at the end of the day I start crying in my room because I’m so fatigued from speaking, and sometimes it hurts when I speak. People around me expect me to speak and they say stuff like “you are able to speak so you should speak and not use text to speech”. I use text to speech in public unless i need to type a long response then I just say my response out loud because it makes me very anxious to keep the person waiting. I have to force myself to speak and it makes me so tired. I just cannot carry on like this because I cannot be this fatigued and in pain all the time. There are times where i just cannot speak at all and those times are happening more often. I don’t exactly know why I am making this post, I think I just needed to let it out. Hope you have an epic day

I was a heavy drug user from being 16 and at 18 had a few drug induced psychotic episode during which I had committed some crimes. I also had a bleed on the brain and damage to the brocas area. Was arrested and put on a section 37/41 in high security. Now am stable with the psychosis on antipsychotics. Unable to speak but can make noises. Learnt some sign language. Now I'm stable tge section has been lifted and have been successfully rehabilitated so will be starting my prison sentence soon.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I know someone who is mute and I feel so rude saying hi in passing what's the nicest way do I smile , wave ,say hi ? I was also wondering what the nicest gesture someone has done for you that you liked? Do u like being invited to things? really sorry if any of this came across rude I was just curious. (I know they can't talk however I still want to include them , be friends etc despite that ) again I'm so sorry if this came across rude , have an amazing day x

I feel guilty talking to my family, i used to be able to talk perfectly fine with them but now i feel like im forcing myself to talk. i cant speak to any of my old friends anymore apart from one of them, its almost tiering to talk now and i feel guilty after talking.

Is my selectve mutsim getting worse or is it something else

I know there are ways to complain and file a grievance but I am fuming right now because when I have seizures for about 15-20 minutes after I can't talk. I had a series of seizures at the endo today resulting in her sending me home before our visit was completed and refusing to see me again till I go back to my neurologist.

I have these seizures every day and there is nothing I can do. I was already seeing the neurologist and waiting for a referral to go back and see them again. I still need to get other medical treatment and I am fuming made because the doctor specifically said she didn't want to see me because I couldn't talk.

I had my phone with text to speech ready and was using it just fine.

One of my online friends told me that she is a mute, because she supposedly lacks vocal cords. She understands English very well and can text and write perfectly. However, the only thing she does is squeak, and she does it almost constantly. I don't really believe her-and I feel like a jerk for it-but is this a phenomenon that can actually happen, or is it an attention thing?

Thanks. ♥

Im sorry if this is a rude or stupid question but im curious and google wont give me the answers thank you in advance

Hi, I’m reaching out for anyone’s experiences with total mutism/loss of speech for long periods of time. Someone I know had no issues with talking (at least that I was aware of) until mid 2023 but then all of a sudden lost 90 percent ability to speak which declined to zero percent by September 2023. He is still unable to speak as at now. There does not seem to have been an obvious traumatic event but might have been a build up of a lot of cumulative stressors. It is really hard to help him/find out the reasons for the ongoing issues as he can’t communicate by writing (he could write ok before) and can just give yes/no type gestures. He also doesn’t like any attention or focus on him. I am trying to give him a supportive, no pressure environment so he can heal from any trauma/stress but also want to be able to let him know he’s not alone and there are others who have gone through this. There seems to be a lot of info online about situational mutism or about total mutism from a young age but not so much about total mutism starting when a teenager/adult. Any help/sharing of experiences would be much appreciated. Thanks!

I have been learning about ASL for a while and different populations that might use it. I know some of you guys might sign but that it’s also not always the best choice for everyone and that AAC, writing, or other methods might be better. So if you don’t mind my asking, how did you land on the method of communication that works best for you and what makes it the best for your personal situation?

So I just had surgery on my vocal cords and can't speach for a long time. I have a card that stated that I can't speak but for some odd reasone people on the streed tread me like I'm deaf.

Does that happen to you as well ? Am I doing somthing wrong ?

Title says it all, I’m trying to figure out what jobs are good for someone with my disability. Any responses are appreciated

I fucking hate it deep in my heart

Also, any ways to turn my own voice into a sound board?

I've started wondering about this. I don't have any disabilities unless you count Autism, but I sometimes wonder how different disabilities like being mute, deaf, or blind can affect a relationship with someone, if it even affects it at all, because I'm sure there are some people who don't have any differences. But, I'm not one to say for sure.

Vent

I am autistic but good at masking so all my life ive been social and my autism is under the radar. Due to stress i think relating to my autism and anxiety ive started not talking, i am now what is classified as 'selective mute' and try to avoid talking at all unless to very close friends or family when needed. Since before this i was slightly talkative and i dont want to disclose my autism or severe anxiety to everybody are there any ways i can be comfortable and not talk while also not seeming rude or weird ? sorry if this is phrased badly or i overshare or anything

WHY is this asked as much as it is, & I've never been able to convince people who've asked me it that even if i was mute my whole life, that it'd be pretty easily possible & I'm not some anomaly. I just don't understand. Do some of you also get asked this ? I am a person who is mute/nonverbal more full time for the past awhile now though & not just more shorter durations

Howdy, I have somewhat of an odd situation, at least for me. Me and my brother have somewhat of a more distant relationship, he lives in a different state so I get a text every now and then and I don’t question anything and it’s been this way for almost 3 years. Recently he’s thinking of moving back into town so he’s been making visits but he doesn’t or I guess can’t talk anymore, I didn’t ask for details since he already seems insecure enough about it. How do I show him some support or at least make it easier whenever I see him?

As someone who is not mute myself, but because I live alone, I often find myself speaking to myself just in my mind.

I do not intend to be mean or rude to this community. I understand my privilege of being able to voice my thoughts audibly, but I'm curious to know how the community manages it's thoughts.

Sincere apologies if it hurts sentiments.

I've been unable to speak these last 4 months, and conveying what I want ranges from inconvenient to infuriating.

I currently use either the notes app, or Google translate and the audio button on that to communicate, but I'm wondering if there's any better options. I saw an app on this community's wiki called speak for me, but I cannot find it anywhere. Google Translate just doesn't sound human, and it makes me feel like I'm an emotionless husk or bot.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Hi!

I’m a graduate student in Design Engineering at Harvard, and I’m currently working on a project that explores new ways to support communication using non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology combined with AI voice.

This study is in its early stages, and I would love to connect with individuals in the Boston area who are open to trying out some of our ideas and providing feedback. This is a user testing opportunity for those who are curious about emerging technologies and interested in helping shape something that could make a real difference.

Your time and insights would be incredibly valuable to us as we refine this project. If you’re interested or would like to learn more, please feel free to DM me!

Thank you so much for considering this, and I deeply appreciate any help or feedback you can offer.