commentr/StutterJanuary 7, 2017

Content

Hi, Ftus. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I know the feelings all too well. When I was your age, I had very similar thoughts of "when will this just go away?". I waited, waited and waited, and every day when I woke up, it was still there. In fact, I'm 34 and it's still here. There won't be a day when you wake up and you're magically cured. Fortunately, you can improve your fluency, but it won't happen overnight and it takes considerable effort on your part. If you haven't seen a speech therapist, I recommend going. Even if your mother is not supportive, which is a real shame and I'm sorry to hear that, you might be able to find a resource at your school, as someone else suggested. If you can't see a therapist, I recommend reading a book (such as [this one] (https://www.amazon.com/Self-Therapy-Stutterer-Malcolm-Fraser/dp/0933388454) or other online resources. Basically, you need to teach yourself how to speak again. At first this requires considerable effort and focus, but with practice it will become more natural. The basics are: * Slow down. Don't rush, forcing words out only creates pressure which makes it worse. * Take a breath. We often get stuck because we run out of air, or run out of air because we're nervous and forcing/rushing our words. Make sure you have a steady and slow stream of air coming up from your lungs as you speak. If you find yourself stuck on a block, first work on letting air through before trying to make a sound, air is the first step. * Think about your words as you say them. Focus on what you're going to say and consciously focus on each word as it crosses your lips. * Relax your mouth/lips. You need to learn new ways to say the 'hard' sounds, like b's, p's and ch's. When you hit a block, forcing the sound out only creates more pressure, which just exacerbates the block. It's counter-intuitive to relax when you get nervous, but it's the only way. Good luck to you, young man, and don't get discouraged. Stuttering will always be a part of who you are, you need to accept it and learn to deal with it the best you can. I'm sure you have a lot of other wonderful qualities that other people would love to have. edit: if you are interested in the book I mentioned and don't have a way to purchase things online, I would be happy to buy it for you.

Themes

Therapy & ProfessionalAnticipation & AvoidanceCoping & AdvocacyEmotional ExperienceIdentity & Disability

Subthemes

Seeking TherapyAvoidance & SubstitutionFluency TechniquesHope & MotivationAcceptance & Pride

Codes (1)

perceived_judgment