commentr/StutterDecember 7, 2023

Content

I just want to say, it seems to me that at only 14 years old you have overcome what many people stutter struggle with well into adulthood. Your laundry list of organizations you participate in and willingness to publicly speak shows a level of self-confidence that should make you capable of anything you set your mind to. I'm 20 and last summer I went to speech therapy and effectively achieved fluency. Despite this it is still pretty much just as difficult for me to speak with and get to know people as when I was not fluent, because the physical fluency did not address the real issue that was keeping me from talking to people, which was my confidence and conversational skills. I'm working on building them up but it's a slow process, and I would trade your level of confidence for my level of fluency in a heartbeat. So just know, the fact that *other people* are the primary thing holding you back is a very good thing. Anyone who thinks that what you have to say isn't important enough to wait for it, doesn't deserve the privilege of hearing it. You could almost think of it as a free screening process for people you should and shouldn't be around. Give me a week or so (I'm in the middle of final exams right now), and I'll PM you some information about the therapy program I went through, maybe you can share it with your therapist and see if they think it will help you. (But honestly, you already have the key to success. Fluency would just make you that much more unstoppable.)

Themes

Community & SupportEmotional ExperienceTherapy & Professional

Subthemes

Advice RequestsAnxiety & Social JudgmentHope & MotivationPositive Therapy Techniques

Codes (1)

reading_aloud