postr/StutterNovember 11, 2021

My boss and HR manager mentioned my stutter to me and offered me support

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Content

My boss and HR manager mentioned my stutter to me and offered me support Hi all, I work in a big firm and despite my stutter I have acquired a successful carrier. My work requires a lot of communication, both to my colleagues (i.e. supervision) and also with clients. Evert year I have performance interview with my boss and staff interview with the HR manager. In the last three interviews, my boss and the HR manager have asked about my stutter, whether I have ever thought of seeking for a help, like speech therapy and mentioning that the company is willing to support me financially or some other way. How would you feel if you were asked those questions? I have never wanted to talk about my stutter.. when I was I kid my stutter was hardly noticeable. I went to speech therapy when I was 10 and the speech therapist said to my parents that my stutter was so minor that I would probably grow up on it. I never thought about my selfie as a stutterer at that time and it didn’t affect me. I didn’t want to talk about it, maybe because I tough that if I/people never talked about it, I wouldn’t be as much ware of it.. when I was in my early 20s my stutter became worse and my family encouraged me to go to speech therapy again. I went on and off over a couple of years but it never helped. What maybe helped the most was when the speech therapist said that my stutter was minor and nothing compared to what some stutterer are dealing with … when I heard that I gained confidence speaking. When I mentioned that to my family they were surprised because with them my stutter can be severe. That often took back the confidence that I had gained in the speech therapy. Anyway even if I didn’t stuttered much in therapy, I stutter a lot in real life, nowadays I stutter in every single conversation. I think of my stutter every single day and it can be so painful. Even though I don’t talk about it I’m full aware of my stutter, I just try as much as I can to let it not stop me. I’m thinking back to when I was younger and no one talked about the stutter to me and it never affected me. Now I feel like everyone is thinking about it and like I have to do something about it, like I have a major flaw.. don’t get me wrong my life would be much easier if I wouldn’t stutter and it would be a dream come true if I would overcome it one day, but I’m not sure if that is ever going to happen..

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceEmotional ExperienceIdentity & DisabilitySchool & Work

Subthemes

Hiding & ConcealmentShame & EmbarrassmentAnxiety & Social JudgmentIdentity & Self-PerceptionEmployment & Career