postr/StutterMarch 21, 2024

Speech block

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Content

Speech block So I'm 22 right now, about to graduate college. I noticed this back when in my last year of high school, but I think somewhere along the line, I developed a sort of speech block. I have no idea where it came from, and in my childhood, I had literally no problems with speech or speaking whatsoever (I literally have MEMORIES of speaking normally!) It was really embarrassing, because in my first couple of years that I think I acquired this speech issue, my self analysis is I didn't know how to deal with the speech block, so it came off as a lot of stuttering and weird speech mannerisms, because I remember I didn't use to have "control" over my speaking anymore (I l consciously remember trying to speak very fast to "run" over the words that would get caught in my throat, but obv this type of uncontrolled action led to stuttering. The worst part is, I got really socially anxious and it suddenly became so hard to talk with my friends that I've normally always talked normally with. I feel like I used to be so sociable and outgoing, but now I’ve transited into this semi quiet person who’s too afraid to speak, and I’ve become a bit awkward ever since my conversations literally don’t feel the same. But I learned to "control" the voice block, and while it's still definitely there, I can most definitely hide it. But to me, it feels like every sentence is a struggle to say fuently now, like I don't stutter, I just uncontrollably experience a construction after literally everywhere word, and it's so annoying to have to speak now So my question is this: I don't stutter, but these speech blocks won't go away, no matter how much I try to change my way of speaking. I know for a fact I used to speak normally, where I wasn't constantly in this tortured mental state of constantly analyzing my own speech, trying to best figure out how I am get rid of this damn voice block. I really didn't care to get help (cause I thought it'll randomly go away just as randomly as it came up to my memory. But after 4 long years, it's STILL there. So I want to ask any docs here, do you guys have any advice on what to do? Probably me being stubborn, but I so badly want to attribute the speech block to like maybe a hidden (benign) tumor or something in my Broca's area, and not fundamentally to my mental state. Would this be reasonable to assume, given the fact I literally did not use to have this at all?? Thanks so much

Themes

Speech & StutteringAnticipation & AvoidanceEmotional Experience

Subthemes

Blocks & StoppagesAvoidance & SubstitutionAnxiety & Social JudgmentHelplessness & Agency