commentr/StutterJune 4, 2025

Content

I will say it feels very similar to me. One thing that I feel helped me a bit was to just hammer into my brain that it just isn‘t my fault. After every situation, from not being able to say thanks to a cashier, blocking hard when introducing myself to people to not being able to deliver a presentation the way I rehearsed, I would just think over and over:“This isn‘t my fault. I tried my best.“ I somehow think this detaches me a bit from the heavy emotions afterwards. Unfortunately this won‘t save you from any unwanted listener reactions, but it‘s a start. Also, maybe try opening yourself step by step when you think the situation is right. I feel like, despite statistics saying that about 1 in every 100 humans stutter, I‘m often the very first stutterer people meet, which causes people to react in ways that we maybe over analyze as negative post hoc. I have made the experience over the last few years that if you‘re open to people and implicitly show vulnerability by saying that you stutter for example, that most react positively to it. I, like you, still experience these feelings of inadequacies often but I feel like it got a bit better by also not comparing myself to others in these kinds of situations, because we just have specific challenges that others simply don‘t have. Try to find a healthy balance of putting yourself out there and recharging, as both are important to avoid getting stuck in trauma or preventing growth by endlessly hiding.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceCommunity & SupportEmotional ExperienceIdentity & Disability

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionValidation & EmpathyShame & EmbarrassmentAnxiety & Social JudgmentHelplessness & AgencyAuthenticity vs. Masking