postr/StutterApril 24, 2023

Met someone with a stutter in college (blocks)

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Met someone with a stutter in college (blocks) P.S. I am not fluent in English, but I tried my best to explain this in English. Sorry for my grammar but I hope you understand what I wrote. So I never thought of meeting someone with a stutter ever. I have stutter blocks and college is hellish since it started, I always struggle with the everyday chores of talking and I can't make any friends. 3 days ago, a new guy just transferred into our class and he looks like a normal person to me, but I felt he was dealing with something when I saw him approach my classmate. I've been struggling with a stutter for a very long time, and I feel like I know if someone is a stutterer. I noticed his body was the same as mine when he was trying to ask something, he looks at his phone repeatedly before he speak like he was trying to catch his thought on his phone. I can't see his mouth because he was wearing a mask but I just know he has a speaking problem same to mine. I do the same too trying to distract my listener and pretending I was catching something on my phone but I was struggling to push my words. Of course, it's just my speculation based on what I have observed, I am still not sure if he was a stutter. So I put some courage and tried to have a conversation with him the next day, it wasn't easy because I was still trying to hide my stutter as I am talking to him. We had a short conversation and later he opened up to me about his stutter, I was right. He also told me that while we were having a conversation he stuttered already many times. So I was happy and told I have a stutter too and I've never met someone with the same condition as me. We had a not-too-long great discussion about our stutter. The next day. Unfortunately, we tried to talk again but it feels awkward. IDK what happened but we can't start or keep up a conversation now. I wanted to talk to him more but seems we were both socially awkward and struggling with speaking. It's awkward and too many dead airs in between. I wish we could express our thought more but this stutter really hinders us.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceSocial & RelationshipsEmotional Experience

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionExperiential AssociationFriendships & BelongingAnxiety & Social Judgment