postr/StutterOctober 3, 2022

Do we subconsciously cause our stutter?

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Content

Do we subconsciously cause our stutter? I’ve noticed that I never stutter when I’m paying no attention to what my mouth is doing and when I speak what I’m thinking as I’m thinking it. When I give a presentation I’m too concerned about what I to say so I don’t stutter as I’m coming up with what to say, meaning the words I’m thinking are forming in my head at the same time I say them. When I’m with a group of really good friends I don’t stutter, I feel very confident and pay no attention to what my mouth is doing. Instead I’m basically thinking out loud. Speech therapy only ever worked short term and was mostly only effective while at therapy. Everything I was taught there were basic way to teach kids how to pronounce difficult words or to focus on what my mouth is doing/my stutter. After years of n o benefits from that I decided to try the opposite and not pay any attention to what my mouth is doing or what to do when I stutter It took some practice but I was able to sort of disconnect my brain from my mouth so they work almost independently. It was rather difficult since my brains been wired to focus on what my mouth is doing to push past a stutter. When I could manage it though, I never stutter. Now when I start to stutter I force my attention away from what my mouth is doing and get past it easily. None of that “take a deep breath” “start over from the beginning” “speak slowly” crap that never worked

Themes

Speech & StutteringAnticipation & AvoidanceIdentity & DisabilityCoping & Advocacy

Subthemes

Loss of ControlOverthinking & MonitoringAuthenticity vs. MaskingFluency Techniques