Selective Mutism

Me, diagnosed with SM in 1998: Anyways...

It could be. Depends on what you mean by upset. I notice in myself when I get anxious/uncomfortable I freeze and clench my jaw really hard and it makes it sort of difficult to speak. It could also just be a normal response to emotions because some people clench their jaw when angry or when they are about to cry.

Forcing people with social anxiety into social situations against their will to “cure” their anxiety DOES. NOT. WORK.

also me: yep that's certainly me, wow same, #relatable, @ me next time though, it's literally me, wow, look it's my brand, wow I

People: “Honestly, it’s so rude that you don’t talk. Like why don’t you just get over it and force yourself to talk? Good luck doing anything with your life. :/”

I know you don’t want to tell them but it could be helpful. You shouldn’t have to hide your problems from friends and family. Other than that, SM can sometimes be managed by reducing anxiety. Usually professional therapy helps but I don’t think your sessions could be kept completely confidential from your parents assuming you’re underage. You could try some self-help techniques like deep-breathing when faced with stressful social situations. This  article has some pretty useful techniques. I wish I could be of more assistance. Message me if you ever need more help and good luck.

Your dad is mostly wrong. People with SM can have healthy relationships as long as they have a supportive group of people who understand what SM is. The damage caused to relationships is rarely the fault of the person with SM the fault lies within people who reject someone simply because “they don’t talk.” As for jobs in a STEM field it is definitely possible having selective mutism can actually make you exceptionally smart so they could definitely go into a science field. Although, I do see where some careers could be difficult as they would require speech (i.e. doctor). It can be difficult but not impossible. And if jobs in the science field don’t want to hire people who have SM then that’s their loss. Continue writing your character as you see fit because we definitely need more positive representation of people with SM.

Probably, speaking shouldn’t feel forced for most people. Personally, when I was trying to force myself not to have SM anymore I would be on the verge of an anxiety attack and my throat would feel like it was closing when I tried to speak. Like it literally hurt. And I could only get like one or two words out most of the time. However, I did consider myself to have SM even then. So yeah if speaking is uncomfortable to the point where you have to force words out it could be SM. Also don’t try to force yourself to speak if you are really anxious about it. Challenging yourself is fine in small doses but constantly doing something that is extremely difficult can be harmful. If you are looking to manage your SM/anxiety a mental health professional in your area may be able to help.

Yep. I just chose not to speak for 16 years. It was torture and ruined a lot of relationships and almost destroyed my life. But yeah, I totally just chose not to speak because I didn't like to. You got me. 

From what I know selective mutism is something that happens pretty consistently (not talking to the same people or in certain places.) Fear of speaking due to perceived judgement is a pretty common occurrence and if it interferes with speaking confidentially its usually associated with general or social anxiety. Some types of therapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with this.