postr/StutterAugust 15, 2018

Does anyone else feel like there's not any awareness about stuttering?

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Does anyone else feel like there's not any awareness about stuttering? Whenever I stutter and tell people about it they will almost always say "I stutter too." That is my biggest pet peeve. Anyone who responds like that doesn't really understand. It's like they don't understand that stuttering can be a speech disorder and not just something that affects your speech every once in a while when you're nervous. I found that when I say "I have a speech disorder" instead of "I stutter" the reactions are much better. When I say the former, they will tell me it's okay or to not worry about it. But the latter, they will always say that they stutter too. I know it's not really a big deal but it always pisses me off a little. I wish there was more awareness about it. I hate having to always disclose it as to not get weird looks and have people wondering what's wrong with me. Another thing I hate is that even if I tell someone who knows I stutter that I'm nervous about a speaking situation they will always tell me stuff like "it will be over in two seconds" (well yeah maybe if I could speak normally) or "lots of people get nervous about that" yeah but not for the same reasons, they don't have to worry about blocking and not being able to speak at all. They put their own solutions/advice on it that would work for themselves and sometimes I'd just like to be understood and acknowledged that that stuff doesn't work for me like it does for everybody else. I'm not even looking for solutions when I complain about it. I just want to vent and they hit with me advice that doesn't and can never apply to me that just ends up frustrating me even more.

Themes

Community & SupportIdentity & DisabilitySocial & Relationships

Subthemes

Validation & EmpathyStigma & BullyingListener Reactions