What helped me overcome my stutter (and maybe you, too).

What helped me overcome my stutter (and maybe you, too). Greetings, I used to have a very slight case of stuttering (mostly stammer where the words just didn't come out, less the "s-s-ss-sTutter" itself. After I started taking Concerta to treat my ADHD when I was around 14 it really worsened my stutter and overall made me really nervous, too. Even after I stopped taking the medication after aprox. 1,5 years the severe stutter that I had developed didn't go away. The next couple of years I barely spoke because of it and did very bad in school and in my social life. Speech therapy did help a little but I guess I was too stubborn to follow the excercises, which consisted of a lot of exposure therapy which I was simply too shy for. Anyways, after some time during my late teens I realized something after watching polititians talk on television. The heavy use of "uhm" and "ahem" in their speeches. Basically, they would read statements or give speeches but have dozens of "uhm" interwoven into their sentences, it sounded really ridiculous if you paid attention to it. However, there they were, those powerful figures in high positions talking in such a weird fashion, yet the whole world was listening and respecting them. I knew that to me it was almost impossible to stutter the "A" vowl, it's the most relaxed position in the throat and I never had found myself having an issue with that one, whereas "Ks", "Gs" and the like seemed to be stuck in my throat for minutes at times. So I started to test if I could try to make the "A" sound whenever I felt like a stammer or stutter was about to happen and it really did work from the get-go. I would often start my sentences with "Uhm..." or use it inbetween like the polititians and at first I had to use them so often that it really was noticeable and made me look like an oaf that had troubles forming sentences. But goddamn, I did stammer way less. Over time I managed to use them less and less and after a year or two I barely use them anymore. I'm 32 now and virtually never stutter anymore, the only times it still arises slightly is when I pick up a phone or get excited and have to start a word with "K" or "G". However, this approach has helped me so much more than any therapy I ever did, granted I was not a very good patient, but I thought I might share this here in case someone else would like to give it a try and perhaps be as fortunate as me with their results. Good luck and cheerio!