Comments on: I stopped talking when I was six years old

By: Jacques Hughes

Jacques Hughes — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:03:34 +0000

Rosalee by Willard Grant Conspiracy

By: Drew Shapter

Drew Shapter — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 22:16:03 +0000

Would not the whole Tommy Rock Opera by The Who count, as the main character the deaf, dumb and blind kid is bereft of his sense after seeing his presumed dead father return after the war. He is struck by more than just mutism, but still a case worth considering?

By: John Carter

John Carter — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:14:09 +0000

As a father of a selectively mute child… I can just note it is a very severe disability, especially in social, school and work contexts. Rob is certainly correct. It is not a case of “Refuse”, although they may try give themselves the illusion of control by post-rationalizing it as “I could have, but didn’t want to (((because it was too hard)))”. The hard fact is it is a tremendous and very real barrier to over come. It can be overcome, my son did so once to save his mother when he thought her at risk, but it clearly very very difficult.

By: Rob

Rob — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 12:38:13 +0000

Just a little clarification where you mention “where children refuse to speak, or refuse to speak in certain situations”. It is not a refusal to speak. These children are UNABLE to speak due to the tremendous amount of anxiety that overwhelms them when the need to speak arises. Using the word refusal is common, but it is incorrect. I did like your article though.

By: sehsphare - AM3

sehsphare - AM3 — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 05:34:47 +0000

I wanted to add I used ‘postmodern’ for lack of a better word.

By: sehsphare - AM3

sehsphare - AM3 — Sun, 21 Nov 2010 05:33:51 +0000

Well,most people don’t consider Gangster rap to be ‘songs’, but there is a line in the song ‘Laughter’ by Wu Tang Clan. The line reference is actually only a partial mention of selective mutism and perhaps the choice is made differntly (psychological condition –that Jung describes well enough more descriptively– vs. cultural entailing). Anyhow the line goes, “We were stimming, you know how it is when you blintz.” The line is pretty intellectual in its urban capacity of culture, I just thought I might mention it although much of the song is not about typical psychological phenomenon so much as sociological perspectives of organizational tenets and the sort of post modern happenstance which tends to make up a lot of mainstream or subcultures of their own variety.

By: cavall de quer

cavall de quer — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 19:25:59 +0000

Never mind who’s got it – how can we induce this condition in humans?

By: Kate

Kate — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 18:34:24 +0000

I’m pretty sure “She’s Given Up Talking” by Paul McCartney describes this condition – it’s on the 2001 album “Driving Rain”.