commentr/StutterNovember 8, 2023

Content

If you feel as though your stutter is unavoidable, I have found it helpful to just start my presentation by just saying something along the lines of “hello everyone! Before I start, I just wanted to let everyone know that I do have a stutter and I’m going to try my best to get through this so please bear with me.” I’ve found that if I take back the power and just address it upfront it kind of takes that pressure off of me of feeling like I can’t stutter or trying to hide it. It’s just a way of calming my nerves. Also, if I get stuck on a word I tap my leg to try and get through the word lock. When in doubt, if you get the stuck on a word, just stop, take a deep breath and try again. It’s always worse if I try to keep getting it out without taking a breath. It took me all of high school and college of having panic attacks before every single presentation and still stuttering through the whole thing to figure this out for myself. Good luck!

Themes

Coping & AdvocacyEmotional ExperienceSchool & Work

Subthemes

Fluency TechniquesVoluntary Stuttering & ExposureAnxiety & Social JudgmentPublic Speaking