What causes it? and why is it a thing? are there symptoms of it? I basically know nothing about this so anything will be new information.
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Selective mutism is an extreme anxiety disorder.
The biggest thing to understand is that it is “selective” in the medical sense, not the social sense. In medical terms, “selective” means that it happens in *select situations*. That is, it is neither constant (all the time) nor intermittent (turns on and off randomly.)
A person with selective mutism *does not choose to become mute in select circumstances.* That is very important to understand. This is an involuntary, debilitating condition that unfortunately has a confusing name.
So basically it’s a form of social anxiety. Usually in social settings, a person (often a child) will find themselves unable to speak. Have you ever found yourself tongue-tied, right before you have to give a speech in front of a crowd? That is what it is like for sufferers of this condition. Only when they swallow and open their mouths to try and press through, they find that they cannot.
When the situation eases, so too does the feeling of being unable to speak.
There is treatment, and many people who suffer this condition can and do successfully recover.
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