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| Teen Diary Serial |

The Voice Within: Chapter 4     

No bribe or gift in the universe could manipulate my mind into speaking at school

 

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nbeknownst to me, my parents went through many sleepless nights and nearly turned the world upside down to find a solution for me. They were stumped by my behavior and so was my school.

The number of gifts I was promised if I started talking were slowly mounting. An American Girl doll, pierced ears, and a pink VTech laptop were only some of them. Unfortunately, no bribe or gift in the universe could manipulate my mind into speaking at school. It obviously went much deeper than that.

Our house became peppered with books, CDs, and toys geared for selective mutism. I had a collection of conversation-starter games and feelings flashcards. My family would sit down regularly to a game of 5 Second Rule, which I was really good at. Only problem was, how to make me speak up in school?

After being silent for eight hours straight each day, my poor parents would sometimes have to deal with quite some temper tantrums. Mute at school, I experienced enormous pressure, and the mist of fear, anxiety, frustration, and unsatisfied needs were triggers of those outbursts.

Excerpted from Mishpacha Magazine. To view full version, SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE or LOG IN.

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