In contrast, traumatic mutism occurs when a child develops mutism in all situations because of a trauma experienced, like when the child was physically abused or witnessed an accident. The child is unable to process the traumatic event and becomes mute in all settings.
Some of the causes of psychogenic mutism may be general anxiety or past trauma. For example, a child who is learning to speak might stop speaking if he or she is molested or threatened.
When mutism occurs as a symptom of post-traumatic stress, it follows a very different pattern and the child suddenly stops talking in environments where they previously had no difficulty. Another misconception is that a child with selective mutism is controlling or manipulative, or has autism.
Effects of Trauma, Maltreatment, and Neglect on Speech/Language Development. There are some data related to the effects of exposure to trauma on speech and language. Thirty-five percent of children with speech and language delays have experienced maltreatment.
Again, their anxiety can transfer to other people in that environment. When mutism occurs as a symptom of post-traumatic stress, it follows a very different pattern and the child suddenly stops talking in environments where they previously had no difficulty.
Speech or language problems such as stuttering (a stuttering child may experience bullying because of it, causing shyness in speaking, which may lead to selective mutism) Traumatic experiences like physical or sexual abuse. Family history of selective mutism or anxiety disorders.
Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people, one or multiple of which serving as triggers. This is caused by the freeze response.
Mutism can be a tricky diagnosis to make. Sometimes the culprit is purely physical: damage to the brain and/or speech muscles can leave a person mute. Sometimes the culprit appears to be emotional or mental. Other times, you'll run into some combination of the two.
Organic mutism is mutism caused by brain injury, such as with drug use or after a stroke. Cerebellar mutism is mutism caused by the removal of a brain tumor from a part of the skull surrounding the cerebellum, which controls coordination and balance.
There is no single known cause of selective mutism. Researchers are still learning about factors that can lead to selective mutism, such as: An anxiety disorder. Poor family relationships.
Conversion and somatoform types of dissociation may also occur in people with DID or DDNOS/OSDD. Thus, they may experience physical symptoms affecting their sensory or motor functions for which no physical cause in the present can be identified – e.g. blindness, deafness, mutism, paralysis, pain, seizures.
As a result, communicating with others becomes increasingly difficult for trauma survivors because they are protecting themselves from being hurt again. As well, they feel like danger lurks around the corner at all times. This is a common response for individuals who have survived traumatic experiences.
Silent traumas are the non-fatalities, the muggings, robberies, stabbings, and gang-related incidents that are 120 times more common than the loud traumas. The impacts of silent trauma are much more prevalent, pernicious, and far-reaching than many people realize.”
Mutism is defined as an inability or unwillingness to speak, resulting in the absence or marked paucity of verbal output. It is a common presenting symptom seen in various disorders, including psychiatric as well as medical disorders.
Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that causes people to freeze up and turn silent in certain stressful situations — school is the most frequently reported one, as the disorder often pops up by age 5, when kids start attending preschool or kindergarten.
Chronic or persistent anxiety can negatively impact the cognitive part of speech production, as well as the physical process of speaking. When one becomes anxious, the muscles in the face and jaw can experience increased tension, which can impact speech production.
Situational Mutism (SM), also called Selective Mutism, is an anxiety-based mental health disorder which usually commences in early childhood. Those with SM speak fluently in some situations but remain consistently silent in others. They may have a blank expression, or appear 'frozen' when expected to speak.
After a coma lasting from 5 to 25 days, the seven patients who suffered from post-traumatic mutism went through a period of total absence of verbal production lasting from 5 to 94 days, associated with the recovery of non-verbal communication skills and emotional vocalization.
Feeling tired or stressed
Simply being tired or fatigued can make it hard to think of the right words. And when you're worried about being judged by others or feel embarrassed, you may freeze up or struggle to talk.
Diagnosis of TBI
Assessment usually includes a neurological exam. This exam evaluates thinking, motor function (movement), sensory function, coordination, eye movement, and reflexes. Imaging tests, including CT scans and MRI scans, cannot detect all TBIs.
In fact, depending on the severity of the injury, recovery time for a TBI may vary from a few weeks to six or more months. Each person reacts differently to injury and illness. Thus, recovery time will vary between individuals. However, the length of recovery time for TBI depends on how long a patient is unconscious.
Effects of Unresolved Trauma
Not only can it lead to psychological distress, such as depression, anxiety, and flashbacks, but it can also cause physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue. Unfortunately, these concerns often go unrecognized or ignored for long periods of time.