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person-first · 6 years

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Yes, I know I have been MIA on FB and seem to not be answering the phone. Many of you know that I have had to work with something that I have been vague about. People tend to think of me talking too much!

That is not an issue I will have for a temporary & unknown period of time….

As of early July, I have some type of Mutism.

Stop going “Ahhh!”, “WT*,” and/or my personal MAJOR pet peeve, ignoring me or treating me differently because you think that you need to say something to me to make me feel better.

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, read this post first, then comment or PM me if you want too.

I have not lost the ability to communicate. Typing is a challenge ( at 5-10 wpm). I have to make sure that my words count more, so I do not have to type as much.

Back to the quirks of my Mutism. I can and do speak in two situations.

I can always speak when I am tutoring. When I tutor; I am in a mental place where my anxieties are gone, ergo my Mutism is gone. People have different hobbies and ways to relax. Tutoring is both my favorite hobby and something that I am passionate about.

This one may sound odd to those that do not know me off of Facebook. With one exception, if there are no people around, I talk to dogs. They don’t understand what I am saying, but it is lovely talking to Pavi, Max, etc. because they look like they are hanging on to every word I say. Max is not my dog, but I consider him & his people friends.. 🐶

I can usually talk on the phone to my Dad, depending on what happened during that particular day. If I am flustered, stressed, etc. we SMS and speak on a different day.

WGU has gone above and beyond to work with my inability to speak.

I can talk to Mark, my beloved, first thing in the morning; until I remember “The Situation”. *silent sigh*

Seriously, I dislike being vague, but I have been told that if I start being specific, it could lead to more drama and difficulties.

Among my pet peeves, a drama is in the top five. Difficulties only make on to my Pet Peeve list if a drama is involved.

“The Situation” began in early June 2018 & is ongoing. It turned my anxiety disorders from gerbil sized to monsters that would eat Godzilla… as a snack. I’ve gone from people telling me that I am “High-strung” to those same people saying “Does anyone know where Jeanine is?”

I have been figuring out how to say casually “Hey (insert person’s name here), I can’t talk for an unknown period of time due to psychological reasons.”

The casual approach, was as the military says, “a No-Go”. I have temporarily lost my ability to vocalize, but I AM NOT SILENCED.

I can FB PM, Skype ( messages only), SMS, email, etc. I even have a fax number now.

On the infrequent occasions I’ve needed have a phone call made, Mark has been my voice. A very sexy manly voice, but it works for me 😁.

~Jeanine

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