Why Can't I Talk When I'm Anxious?

Rushing thoughts make it difficult to speak because you're anxious, overwhelmed, and finding it difficult to coherently plan-out what you want to say and how you want to say it. Mouth Movements Anxiety can affect your physical functioning as well.

Can anxiety make you unable to speak?

Difficulty speaking and talking, or moving the mouth, tongue, or lips are common symptoms of anxiety disorder, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and others.

Why do I go mute when I'm anxious?

Selective mutism (SM) is an anxiety disorder in which a person who is otherwise capable of speech becomes unable to speak when exposed to specific situations, specific places, or to specific people, one or multiple of which serving as triggers. This is caused by the freeze response.