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Do you ever go non-verbal or semi-verbal?

Do you ever go semi or non-verbal?

  • No

    Votes: 6 13.6%

  • Semi Verbal

    Votes: 8 18.2%

  • Non-verbal

    Votes: 7 15.9%

  • Both

    Votes: 23 52.3%
  • Total voters
    44
for me it's not just related to stressful situations (before/during/after), it's way of life and something i enjoy

that's the extra benefit of big noise cancelling headphones, they inherently imply that you don't want to talk to people

too many people waste oxygen saying nonsensical, trivial and vain things that serve no worthwhile purpose and achieve absolutely nothing, and if they cannot say them they write them

just look at social media, for a great many people, the ultimate showcase for stupidity and vanity, the internet was initially developed by scientists to exchange scientific data, look at what extroverts have done to it...
 
I voted both.
There may be some variations on the meaning from the posts I've read. Not sure.

1. I have never gone mute.
But, stress, frustation, questions, overload, does cause me to have difficulty thinking normally to put words together quickly or in a way that is totally understandable of what I mean.
Also, memory is impaired when under stress.
Can't think of things I know quite well at the time.
NTs call them Senior Moments.
But, when I relax it clears up and memory is fine.

2. Selective mutism is different.
I've had that since an infant. Even then I didn't like visitors and I would deliberately not speak or leave the room if possible when someone came to visit.
As an adult, I choose to shutdown verbally when angry sometimes for a couple of days.
Which may or may not be preceded first by a verbal fight with someone that insults me.

3.Semi-non verbal is just the way I am outside the house.
I've often thought they probably think I am either shy or a grump person. But, that's just how I am. I don't have anything to talk about. Only say what I have to for politeness sake or what I need relating to the situation.
Examples are like getting my hair done. Most people talk up a storm with their hairdressers. I can sit there for an hour and say nothing except Hi, when I first sit down. Then they ask, "are you alright?" "Yes, fine."
Today I had a facial for an hour, went to two stores then a casual dinner. Probably didn't say more than four words.
 
Full Steam said:
For some reason the idea that I might only recently occurred to me, so i did the usual and studied my behaviour, and my past.

I can now see that I go semi-verbal quite often. Shutdowns always cause it to an extent and so does exhaustion, and stress.

The only non-verbal episodes I remember were in play ground fights. They always started with a shouting match, that turned to insults and threats and then physical.

As soon as the threats started I stopped speaking, and literally could not have spoken.
Click to expand...

Fortunately, I do not go non-verbal or partially, very often. It happens to me when I am very tired and trying to still get things done. I can just about depend on this happening when I move. A few other things trigger me becoming partially or completely non-verbal, but they are not as predictable as moving.

I would like to try using an app when I hve a non-verbal problem. I fear the app will not be effective for me, but the only way to find out is to try it.

Some non-verbal incidents can include not being able to think clearly, so I am not sure I could use an app. It can also cause something that makes it hard for me to stay awake.

Sometimes I get better if I can get away by myself for a while.
 
Major stress can shut down my memory.
We don't need to remember the date or the next thing on a to do list when we're in 'fight or flight' mode. Just need to run like the clappers away from the threat.

I can experience times when I know what I'm thinking but it won't glide along and sail out of my mouth in a well reasoned answer form.
It stops part way along
Usually end up as one word replies.
To weary or stressed to assemble a new understandable response and have no scripts available (memory on a coffee break)
 
Answering on this thread being a perfect example.

I'm stressing today over something that's going to happen tomorrow. (Interview)
I'm getting myself into a bit of a state.

I want to add something to @fullsteam thread.

The part of me that remembers how to build and construct meaningful explanations is starting to shut down (due to stress)

It's becoming more difficult to organise how I'd like to reply and is wearing me out.
 
Gracey said:
Answering on this thread being a perfect example.

I'm stressing today over something that's going to happen tomorrow. (Interview)
I'm getting myself into a bit of a state.

I want to add something to @fullsteam thread.

The part of me that remembers how to build and construct meaningful explanations is starting to shut down (due to stress)

It's becoming more difficult to organise how I'd like to reply and is wearing me out.
Click to expand...

Yeah, me too.

Just had a screaming child for an hour or so.

Brains just mush right now.

Nothing to say.

Suppose I'm semi verbal now.

Can't think as part shutdown,

Funny to try to communicate, never tried that before.

All good with you guys though.

Wouldn't try with NT,s just keep quiet.
 
When it happens to me I go to bed -but try to carry on With what I had to do ,panic disorder is 24 seven .I recommend this to anybody !if you're starting to become semi verbal or getting to non-verbal,I think it sends a message to your body that you are strong enough to cope .
 
Full Steam said:
Yeah, me too.

Just had a screaming child for an hour or so.

Brains just mush right now.

Nothing to say.

Suppose I'm semi verbal now.

Can't think as part shutdown,

Funny to try to communicate, never tried that before.

All good with you guys though.

Wouldn't try with NT,s just keep quiet.
Click to expand...

Same.
 
There is a way silence can be useful.

If I am groping for words because someone is being obnoxious to me, I can get the time to gather my thoughts and respond by gazing at them with my blank “basilisk” stare.

It’s conveying a sense of “I cannot believe you have said something so stupid and nasty! I am wordless because you are so horribly out of line!”

This can be quite effective.
 
It depends. When i have a meltdown i only have a couple phrases i hold onto and find it difficult to say anything else("No" "shut up" and "go away") but sometimes when i have a severe panic attack/flight fight or freeze situation, i go completely quiet and can't form full sentences, or just squeak or grunt.
 
I'm not sure what to vote.
Fully non-verbal, I don't recall. Semi-verbal, definitely, but with a twist: there needs to be a certain amount of stress AND it's a lot less likely to happen in the presence of people I'm comfortable with. So, say I'm in a super stressful situation, but around my mother: nothing happens. A less stressful situation around people I don't perceive as beneficent: gibberish comes out, or just a few words. In addition to that, in periods of extended but less intense stress, there are people I will be completely unable to talk to (oh, well there goes the fully non-verbal bit, I guess), while I won't have any problem being super wordy with the people I feel safe with, but remind me of even the need to talk to one of the bad people and poof, blank again.
 
Katleya said:
I'm not sure what to vote.
Fully non-verbal, I don't recall. Semi-verbal, definitely, but with a twist: there needs to be a certain amount of stress AND it's a lot less likely to happen in the presence of people I'm comfortable with. So, say I'm in a super stressful situation, but around my mother: nothing happens. A less stressful situation around people I don't perceive as beneficent: gibberish comes out, or just a few words. In addition to that, in periods of extended but less intense stress, there are people I will be completely unable to talk to (oh, well there goes the fully non-verbal bit, I guess), while I won't have any problem being super wordy with the people I feel safe with, but remind me of even the need to talk to one of the bad people and poof, blank again.
Click to expand...


I find that too - I think it's caused by anxiety with me. Anxiety is a major cause of shutdown for me, and it comes up so fast when talking to"bad" people that I can't control it fast enough, and words fail me.

Next door neighbour shut me down in about 5 minutes of stupid questions the other day.
 
If someone and/or something has annoyed / upset me so much that I am close to losing my temper I will go mute, as an adult I have learnt to get up and simply leave to calm down and there is only likely to be a serious problem if someone then prevents me from leaving or follows me continuing to upset me as I could break, but luckily as an adult I have avoided this and I have more tolerance before I go mute in the first place as an adult than I used to as a child.

As a child however other children used to bully me on purpose to cause me to go into a mute state before losing my temper (which they all called an "eppy", short for epileptic fit which of course is nothing to do with it) and they cruelly learnt the triggers (one was stealing my bag which was a treasured possession that I kept close to me at all times, but sometimes they just used plain violence). They found it hilariously funny and there's been situations where I have struck out getting me into serious trouble, I've even been known to attack teachers. At first I would go mute, then they would continue to bully and I would then simply "lose it", sometimes when I was muted teachers would have a go too, E.g. I would storm out of class to somewhere quiet, but there's been times where teachers have followed and just shouted telling me off for leaving, if they continued I would sometimes strike them too. There's even been occasions where I have picked up chairs or even desks and thrown them at people who wouldn't leave me alone. I was sent home from school so many times and I remember the head teacher telling my parents that it's not my fault, it's just that we don't have the experience or training to deal with his special needs here. My parents insisted in sending me to a "normal" senior school against all advice and kept fighting for me to remain there instead of being sent to a special needs school which all the experts wanted, I had an utterly awful time. The only good thing is my parents never blamed me for it and understood that I was being brutally bullied, it didn't stop them forcing me back there on repeated occasions however.

Edit: I would just like to add another thought, it's something that never ever crossed my mind as a child. As children we often feel invincible, but as adults we learn that we are not. In hindsight I look back to my school days and imagine what could have happened when I lost it and did things like throw chairs and desks in retaliation. For instance I remember knocking someone out once, well imagine what would have happened if I'd accidentally killed someone as it was only really luck in the heat of the situation? Would the juvenile criminal justice system in the mid 1980s had treated a brutally bullied aspie who struck back at a "normal" senior school in this situation fairly? I very much doubt it and remember in those days it was perfectly legal and accepted in the UK for adults to strike children (something that teachers often did) so imagine the punishments a child could receive when sent to a juvenile institution and the bullying an aspie would receive there. It's a horrid thought and I wonder if there has been situations like this that were never identified correctly throughout history.
 
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Talking is a problem for me, either ok on my subjects, or mind blanks when trying to say something, and saying the wrong thing to the wrong person with negative consequences, trusting the wrong people, sometimes I know they are the wrong people to speak to tho and I still do it, kicking myself later or even when the words have come out.

I've tried just scripting things, much easier, but I've been able to be vocal at them times.

Trying to be vocal when struggling is just draining, horrible.
 
Completely non-verbal when I'm overwhelmed. I stay completely mute until the feelings pass. This happens when I'm experiencing bad emotions (anger, frustration, sadness) or when I'm feeling extreme love or lust for someone...no words, and nothing would come out even if I tried. When I'm very happy, I am noisier/chattier than usual and I laugh alot.
 
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