commentr/StutterAugust 29, 2022

Content

I used to stutter maybe 90% of the time, now it's probably more like 20-25%. I used to blame my stutter for my problems, but became aware that there's a whole load of other problems in my head unrelated to stuttering which didn't all go away as my speech improved, although working on many of these problems did result in more fluent speech. I'm still avoidant, still have social anxiety, and can't deal with relationships, but these things aren't caused by the stutter. Certainly there are links, and there can be a negative feedback loop, but these things and maybe the stutter too are symptoms of something much deeper in the psyche. Also, many people who stutter don't have these problems, so there may or may not be links for a particular individual, but blaming everything on one condition is reductive and keeps you in the same hole you find yourself in. You can work on specific problems to find different ways out of that hole, even if you have to accept that some things might not change much, or at least not yet. Any progress is good, though.

Themes

Anticipation & AvoidanceEmotional Experience

Subthemes

Avoidance & SubstitutionHiding & ConcealmentOverthinking & MonitoringHelplessness & Agency

Codes (1)

emotional_state