postr/StutterOctober 20, 2015

How much do you feel that your speech problems are connected to anxiety?

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Content

How much do you feel that your speech problems are connected to anxiety? I'm sure just about everybody with a speech problem has anxiety about it, but I'm wondering about anxiety as a cause or aggravator. When I'm hitting the energy drinks too much I notice my general awkwardness and anxiety increases a lot, and the stuttering comes with it. If I don't get enough sleep, caffeine-related or not, it also gets worse. Funny enough tho, my whole life I've actually had LESS speech problems when it comes to speaking in public, interviews, anything high-pressure. The more casual the conversation the worse it gets. So that doesn't exactly back up the anxiety theory. I've also had a theory for a bit that I don't have a speech problem per se anymore. I feel like I have an anxiety problem. When I'm talking, I (think I) can anticipate which words I'm going to stumble on and choose a different word, or use some other trick to get around it. Or, less ideally, I don't redirect in time and I just can't say the word at all. But I never actually let myself TRY to say the word. I have so much anxiety about assuming it's going to be a problem...but what if it's really not? What if the anxiety around the stutter I definitely USED TO have is the real problem?

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceCauses & VariabilityEmotional ExperienceIdentity & Disability

Subthemes

Anticipating StutteringAvoidance & SubstitutionStress & Fight/FlightAnxiety & Social JudgmentAuthenticity vs. Masking

Codes (3)

stimulants_recreationalemotional_statephysical_state