commentr/StutterFebruary 8, 2019

Content

I'm really sorry to hear this. I know any oral part of an interview is a real struggle for all of us. It's really, really frustrating and upsetting to me that people immediately pass on us just because we happen to stutter. Even if what we're saying is fine, how we say it, whether we mean to or not, is really a detriment to our success. When you have these job interviews, do you preface it with any sort of discussion about your speech impediment? I know people who have zero understanding of how stuttering works might make the assumption that you're just very nervous or your mind is all over the place. I find that just putting it out there, that I have a speech impediment (not even saying the word stutter) helps ease my nerves, but also helps the other person feel more at ease and helps understand the situation. Just today at my job, I was on the phone with someone who I was having trouble hearing, and I tried to ask "what did you say?" but it came out as a jumbled mess. The person walking past me looked at me like I was actually losing my mind, and actually looked a little scared of me. Who knew my stutter had such power?

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceEmotional ExperienceSchool & WorkSocial & Relationships

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionHiding & ConcealmentAnxiety & Social JudgmentEmployment & CareerDisclosure & Telling Others