Selective Mutism In Our Own Words: Experiences in Childhood and Adulthood

by Cheryl Forrester, Carl Sutton, Donna Williams (Foreword)

An eye-opening and enlightening collection of stories from people living with Selective Mutism (SM), this book provides a much-needed platform for people with SM to share experiences of the condition in their own words.Exploring all aspects of SM, from symptoms and diagnostic criteria, to triggers and the consequences of being psychologically unable to speak, the stories in this book dispel the myths around this often misunderstood condition. Far from refusing to talk, or choosing not to, the contributors offer genuine insights into why they simply cannot speak in certain situations or in front of certain people. Children, teens and adults from the UK and US share experiences of feeling isolated, struggling at school, and finding ways to communicate. Letting people with SM know that they are not alone with the condition, the book will also help family, friends and professionals to understand what it is like to live with SM.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 21, 2015

Reviews

[Dmt400 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can not recommend the book enough, as a parent of a teen with very ingrained SM it has given me a huge incite, understanding of what it is like for my son. Our experience of the treatment of SM has been that it is often ignored for so long that by the time it is recognised it has been going on for so long it makes treating it extremely hard. A copy of this book should be sent to every psychiatrist ,counsellor ,teacher as they may gain a better idea of how to help our children from people who know what it is like.

[Lauren Bergman · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the seemingly innocuous questions “why are you so quiet?” and “don’t you talk?” imbue you with a deep, agonising, knife-churning-in-the-depths-of-your-stomach, having-your-cloak-ripped-off-without-your-permission, existential type of dread, this is the book for you.

- Recipient of my math teacher’s “most likely to go a year without speaking” award <3

[Lady V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very big thank you to every single person that contributed to this work. It must have been an incredible difficult thing to speak about and relate to others, and I am deeply grateful that I was able to further my understanding of SMs and what it means to live, thrive, and survive with it.

My best friend has SM and I have seen with my own eyes the destruction and misery it can inflict upon others, let alone when it is further complicated by a hostile world, or purposefully antagonized by people and institutions. I am very glad that some people have had the necessary support from family, friends, school, workplace and healthcare organizations, but it seems misunderstanding, ignorance, avoidance, and outright abuse are common experiences for a lot of children and adults. With how crucial support and understanding are, any cut of funding, or a lack of compassion can be extremely detrimental and debilitating, and my heart aches at how underfunded and poorly studied SM is. There is practically no support for adults with SM in my country, and I have no words no words in my vocabulary powerful enough to describe this sort of organizational evil.

[blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

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