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A Method that Might Help Hey Guys, I came across a few techniques that might be very useful for all of you. To give a bit more context - I've stuttered since the age of 2 years old (according to my mother). I stutter in a variety of ways but most often feel like I'm running out of air or feel some form of tension in my mouth that does not allow the speech to flow through. I spent a whole summer attending speech therapy when I was around 17 to no avail, I'm 22 now. This included everything from meditation, self relaxation, affirmations, lengthening of the first syllable for prolonged periods, breathing after targeted words, etc. The whole process would take at least an hour. It did solve my problem for a while - but due to a few nerve wracking situations I stuttered and lost confidence in myself and it made my stutter come back. And no matter how many times I practiced these techniques after that it got progressively worse. In fact, I reached a point where the more I practiced the worse it got - the reason being working so hard on it for an hour everyday and then stuttering more led to a vicious cycle of self hatred, helplessness, etc. Interestingly I have changed my approach completely now. And it is a combination of two things: I - A video from a Youtuber called Speaking Van - "How to Stop Yourself From Fighting your Stutter" *I made notes to summaries what she said so this is it. These techniques will work on the mental aspect of your stutter and you will reach a point where you will be able to more easily deal with fear, anxiety, hopelessness, memories of past experiences, etc.* * General * “You can’t really fight a stutter - because you will be fighting yourself” * Stuttering involves a lot of things - thoughts, feelings, emotions, external environment, memory and what not - you have to observe all these when they occur and let them go. It is a complex process that happens very quickly. * The whole process is about doing nothing [i.](http://i.ie/)e to stop fighting. So it is not about using more energy to get rid of it but acceptance. * The basic requirement for this to work is you have to be really present - if you are lost this will not work. * Steps * Be Conscious of your Stutter * The goal is to be conscious of the key components that are causing the stutter - to be aware of it. It is important to be completely aware of each component of the cycle and be very neutral. * The most common cycle is Memory → Feeling → Though → Emotion * Let it Be * Don’t do anything about what’s happening - just tolerate it and absorb it. Do not react, fight it, etc. * Just understand that it’s not in your control. * Let it Go * This is when all the feelings, thoughts, etc. will subside II - Pressing your Index and Thumb on Each Word of a Sentence This is something that my speech pathologist recommended me with. So when you speak to someone press your thumb and index finger with reasonable amounts of pressure when you say every single word. E.g. if you say, "My name is Brian" - you should've pressed your fingers together 5 times. This method has not only helped me organize my thoughts as speak as it forces you to think one word at a time. But a lot of the tension near my mouth is transferred to my fingers. It also acts as a great distraction and makes you less self conscious. I wish you guys all the best!