commentr/StutterAugust 16, 2024

Content

What worked best for me was breathing and drawing out sounds or tying one word to another (if I had to say bald, is say he's bald trying to tie he's and bald together). There was a video about stuttering and making sure you remember to breathe. I would get so worked up about stuttering that I'd suffocate myself while blocked on a word, which just made things worse. Your results may vary. Mine definitely worsens when I'm anxious or put on the spot, so taking a second to gather myself (I pretend I'm thinking about the best thing to say) and take my time before I speak. I've also gotten good at finding other words to replace the words that I'm stuck on (the typical hard consonant words). Lots of "umms" and pauses help too. A plus side to taking your time, is that it tends to get people's attention and makes them feel like you're really thinking through what you want to say first. Speech therapy may work for you, I suggest trying a session or two to get the feel of it. For me it made me think too much about my speech. I'm most fluent when I'm able to forget (or not care) that I stutter or get caught up in the moment. Again taking your time and trying to play out what you're going to say knowing how to say it may help. I hope you find something that works for you. Also remember that most people don't care if you stutter or not. Aside from the assholes in school, adults who are worth your time, don't care. I recently got a director level position in a large healthcare organization, and during my peer interviews with people that I didn't already know, I came right out and told them that I stutter. It made the whole interview less stressful. Now I just need to get used to talking to large groups lol. Good luck! Sorry for the novel.

Themes

Coping & AdvocacyAnticipation & AvoidanceSchool & Work

Subthemes

Fluency TechniquesMindfulness & BreathingAvoidance & SubstitutionHiding & ConcealmentEmployment & CareerPublic Speaking

Codes (2)

emotional_statetime_pressure