commentr/StutterDecember 28, 2019

Content

When you’re trying to push them out, can you consciously pause, stop pushing, and relax your mouth/face muscles? I think we tend to tense up when we stutter because we feel social pressure to get the word out ASAP, and our instinct is to put in MORE effort... after all, for most things in life, more effort = more results. But stuttering is one of those paradoxical things where you actually need to put in LESS effort. Normal speakers don’t have to put any effort at all into speaking, they just open their mouths and the words come out. But we are trained from stuttering to tense up whenever we speak. And it’s so hard to remember not to, because in the moment when you’re talking to someone, you feel this social pressure and it’s extremely hard to relax and be mindful of how much tension you do or don’t have.

Themes

Speech & StutteringEmotional ExperienceCauses & Variability

Subthemes

Physical TensionAnxiety & Social JudgmentStress & Fight/Flight