'I have a phobia of talking' - BBC News

I have Selective Mutism, and it's not a PHOBIA of talking. Its the anxiety that kicks in when you're expected to speak, even though you can speak perfectly well. I'm not afraid to talk. I just can't in certain situations due to anxiety.

When i was in 7th grade i remember i had to present a project in class. The teacher called on me to go up a present it an talk about it. I tried so hard to, but i denied to going up there. The teacher then started yelling at me saying "yes you can" & etc, an my peers around me even said i was "really shy". Even though they said that, she gave me a big old F+ on my Project, which was a test grade. After she basically told the whole class, i layed my head down in my jacket an cried until class was over. Other years, ive had the same situation happen to me, followed by more F+'s. I wish teachers were taught that some people have rare forms of anxiety problems. NOBODY is the same. Every school year, theres always that one teacher who expects presentations...like i cannot do it. I choke up, and cant breathe when im standing up there. I mean i wish i could tell a principal or something, but I'll even choke up around them as well. :( ive had it since i was a kid, and im 17 now. This really is stressful for me. i can really relate to this video, and the other comments.

I know someone just like them. I don't know if he has sm, and I hate it when a teacher pressures him.

I'm 22. I've had SM in my childhood. I still suffer from anxiety and often find it difficult (but no longer impossible) to speak in stressful situations. I was seen by a child psychologist, but she assumed I was having trouble speaking English because of my nationality. I couldn't make friends at school. Some teachers even thought I was autistic. I knew at the time that I had some form of social anxiety, but I wasn't aware of what SM was until I got to university. The most frustrating thing has always been not being able to say anything to explain that I was having a panic attack. If you suffer from SM or anxiety, see your GP. Bring a letter about how it's been affecting you, so you don't have to say anything. There is help available. I recommend seeing a speech therapist or a counsellor, before deciding on medication.

"like i have missed out on so much..."

What incredibly courageous people. The little boy at the end is going to do big things in his life, utterly amazing.

Wrong wrong wrong. We don't have a phobia, we just can't. Our insides don't let us do it, no,matter how much we try.

the first girl looks like she has it the worst, like completely mute with disability. I think most people with SM look like every day people. Just the ones you call quiet or shy. Some people call us dumb. Incorrect, we tend to be more intelligent.

I have selective mutism. I was diagnosed when I was 3 and I'm nearly 18 and still can't talk. My dad died when I was 5 and I never talked to him and I feel guilty but I know it's not my fault. I only can talk to my mum, sisters and grandma. I feel so trapped in my body, I have no idea who I am under SM because SM is what defines me now. In school I was "the girl who doesn't talk" I was never called by my own name. I want a job but I know I'll never get one. I'm happy but SM makes things so horrible.

Utterly disgusted with the negative comments being left here, but these remarks can only come from small-minded, arrogant bigots who have absolutely nothing better to do with their time.  At least those of us with SM are able to be more productive, in helping others who share our condition, whereas bigots are incapable of even helping themselves! What dreadfully tedious life they must lead, one that will very likely result in them ending up as stroke victims, perhaps to deservingly lose their own power of speech!  Time is pretty good at serving up justice & revenge in a nicely chilled dish!  (Heh-heh....& now any bigots replying to this comment will be SO easy for everyone else to identify & duly label!)  :D

Thanks bbc for make this fantastic report for us

I've had sm my whole life and I just wanna say that I love this video. It wasn't perfect but when it comes to the representation of non-verbal people in the media, it was excellent. I love that the disorder was shown in multiple age groups and people who have overcome it but also people who are still going through it. I love that the man (idk his name) had so much respect for them. They weren't expected to speak at all, in most videos like this they are expected to answer questions verbally or they're at least asked to speak, which is very disrespectful and rude. I love that sm wasn't treated as something strange or even as something wrong, it was just something. I've seen basically every video about sm on the internet and apart from the few uploaded from actual sufferers of the disorder, this is one of the most accurate representations I've seen.

I'm 23 and i have undiagnosed sm... people expect me to talk and call me rude of not speaking. People dont understand why i speak to some people and not others and its SOO frustrating!! One mistake ive made is talking to someone infront of the other and not being able to speak to them... its SOO FRUSTRATING because it feels almost impossible and soo hard to speak to te people who i do speak to, let alone others. If i could speak to everyone i would. Yes you are probably wondering why i spoke infront of othets and TRUST ME if i was able to I'd only speak at home. However I'm in hospital and its not like I'm free, i cant leave the ward alone. So yeah, its hard!! Like actual nurses saying that they wouldn't give me my pain meds unless i spoke. Which pissed me off because i couldn't. I feel soo lonely and miserable. I also suffer with severe depression, mild learning dificulties, autism and anorexia so right now I've never wanted to die so much in my life 😭 Today a nurse left the medication trolly open and because i feel so low the temptation to take tablets to od on became too much so I went to the trolly and looked in but got caught on the act. No one understands us and its frustrating!! I knew what I'd do too. I had a plan on how to od on them and make it look like i had never even overdosed... but I got caught 😭😭😭

I have selective mutism. I've only recently admitted it to my school peers and close friends. Not to my teachers yet. I'm not even sure that my teachers know but I'm hoping that now people at school know they will tell the teachers for me

I understand how she fells because I am dealing with Selective Mutism right now and it is hard every day kids at school get mad at me for not responding to me but really its my Selective Mutism kicking in and I feel like I can't speak its horrible.

I wouldn’t describe it as a phobia. We want to talk, but we physically cannot.

6:49 that kid likes slipknot, automatically a ledgend

i think i have this. didint know the name of this until his year 😕

I had this 100%. I am now still VERY shy but I get out and socialise. Wish they'd have done more as a child with me because it sucks SO bad as an adult and from leaving school to about 20, I enclosed myself in my house. I can now speak to people, but life it's a lot more difficult and it has caused me to have chronic depression. I'm doing really well in myself now. I'm 25.

I loved seeing Daniel dancing😭🥰 so lovely