Is this the place? (non-treatment support)
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Is this the place? (non-treatment support) Lead up: (So, I am 32 an 10 years of public school SLP's made me into the kind of person who is not interested even in a casual/personal introduction to anyone in SLP or adjacent fields. I have told a few how I feel and I hope if someone like me crosses their path they will know what to do. I am never cruel but it's my right to be prickly. I had an SLP tell me to "give this another try!!" like I was a child when I filled out the speech easy survey after 6mo of attempted use. not only did DAF eliminate my ability to think and speak at the same time but it cost me a job because it emitted loud feedback as I was being given a tour literally on my way to get my hiring documents. The best thing for my stutter was living like I did not have one! I had labor jobs or jobs with animals. covid has really limited any job prospects I had to jobs that are definitely not worth getting covid for. Anyway: lots of phone calls and video calls lately and even personal calls are awful. its not even the stuttering it's just being obliged to speak without implying with helpful gestures or whatever seems to help. OH GOD AND THE DELAY ON VIDEO CALL AUDIO WTF. None of the therapy I got was more than repeating words slowly. maybe it's just me but there is no amount of repeating that is going to fix whatever I have and the best thing for my mental health has been to accept this.) Since my goals in life are not centered around being fluent for the comfort of other people I wonder if there are any "groups" you know of for stutters seeking community without this constant pressure for treatment?? I cannot find a single bit of information on non-treatment support of stuttering individuals. Every single article is every perfectionist SLP that ever saw me as something to fix. do you ever get tired of this? being treated like your voice will only be heard when it's fixed or moderated with just as much pain/effort as accepting my voice has taken? I really and truly just want some people to complain with who have struggled with and rejected this notion that they need a presentable cadence. If you have judgement or esp suggestions about types of SLP-provided therapy I mean feel free but I am not and will never be here for that. The folks against autism speaks are really the only comparable groups I am thinking of. Looking to fix myself (fully, fully for the comfort of other's who were hoodwinking me into thinking SLP was about MY COMFORT LOL nahh) ruined the first 15 or so years of my life and I am over wasting my time. I just want to talk with people about accomplishments in daily living that aren't focused on how fluent we were or weren't but how we got through it. maybe this is the place?? 100% the only thing I have to work on is grinning and bearing it when people on the phone chuckle during my initial hello but I have the vitals rehearsed so really it's other folks I need to fix!! Thanks all.