postr/StutterJuly 1, 2015

My story. Any advice?

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My story. Any advice? Hey all! Just found this sub. So first of all, when I was 18 - the summer after High school graduation I attended an intense 3 week course in Toronto. The program the Dr's were using was the PFSP. Has anyone heard of this? Taken part? Basically there are a handful of "targets" that you learn which help in different ways. You first learn to stretch out a syllable to 2 seconds long- to help learn the shape your speech muscles should be in for every sound. It progresses to a somewhat natural speed and other targets are added along the way. I'm rambling. During the course I improved the most out of the 8 fellow stutters/stammerers and I was feeling really good about it. Although, my study habits during the course were nearly identical to my high school habits... Next to nothing . but I made progress anyway. The time in class was enough to help me progress to nearly fluent (but unnatural). The next few months went good. Some hiccups. Some poor effort on my part but I was still feeling good about it. At Christmas time I went snowboarding with my father and I ended up breaking my arm in 2 places and needing surgery. And a half-week-long post op stay. After the break and before the surgery my stutter came back with a vengeance and has persisted since(I'm now 28, so 10 years). And I gave up on the program I was taught. Family life was tough at home. Which I think is a big part of my stutter in the first place. I noticed during my school years that I seemed to stutter a lot more around my family than my "friends" who ridiculed me when it started to come out more in my social life. So I ended up moving across the country. Far away from any resources that I had gained. The clinic still holds refreshers twice a year in Toronto. And I've recently moved back to the area. But I feel like I'm so far removed from their program that going back now wouldn't really help as I dropped all of my learning and went back to speaking my normal natural stuttery way. For the past many years I've worked as the lead bartender in a large restaurant and gotten over the shame and guilt or whatever that my stutter used to give me. I still get furious when people are ignorant and dickish though. I tried very hard to not let my stutter affect my life and work and I feel like I've actually grown a lot in that sense. I'd still get nervous with certain problem words. I'd never introduce myself first (only when someone else made the first move) as my name is probably the hardest thing for me to say. Obviously talking to girls was hard but that's not an issue anymore. Phew. Anyway I came here to say that in the past 6 months to a year I've really noticed that I'm getting blocked on sounds of any type. Running out of breath saying g-g-g or c-c-c 3 or 4 times before I finally get it out. There's a lot going on in my life right now: just purchased my first home with my girlfriend . Moved 3500 km back near my family. Near but far enough. Is there merit to this program? I liked the resulting Fluency but not the way I sounded in order to be fluent. Should I contact them? Are there newer approaches? What are possible ways of dealing with/causes of this sudden increase in my stutter? Sorry for my blathering. But I love writing. Thanks for listening.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceEmotional ExperienceSocial & Relationships

Subthemes

Experiential AssociationFrustration & AngerFamily Support & Conflict

Codes (1)

emotional_state