[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Gunars Neiders
Date: 10 Oct 2007
Time: 14:37:20 -0500
Remote Name: 67.171.0.68
Thank you for raising a very important question. In my opinion voluntary pseudo-stuttering works the best if it is used together with cognitive restructuring to challenge and dispute irrational ideas such as: ..1) All stuttering is equally handicapping instead of understanding that minor disfluencies su-such as this do not at all impede communication process whereas struggling disfluencies accompanied by guilt, anxiety and shame are significantly disruptive; 2) There is something shameful about even the smallest dis-disfluency; .3) Even an in-insignificant repetition is awful, instead of being just an amusing peculiarity in ones speech; 4) It is too hard to work through the hierarchy of using voluntary pseudo-stuttering in more and more important situations; 5) I cant stand not being able to do pseudo-stuttering perfectly (frustration intolerance); .6) Any sign of stuttering makes me a worthless individual, etc .For me what has worked has been waking up and doing three or four easy re-repetitions while looking in the mirror and interspersing two to three voluntary pseudo-repetitions throughout the day .I know it is hard, but not too hard to do the voluntary pseudo-stuttering repetitions in the most important speaking situations. But when done consistently, the feedback that one receives, that nobody really gives a darn about easy re-repetitions, except maybe find them a little amusing, rewires the brain so thoroughly that there are days that one forgets that he or she stutters. Including the cognitive such as, a) I did not notice the listener react to my voluntary pseudo stutter, b) I had an easy time doing it, c) it sure has become it much easier for me to do it now than it used to be, d) it sure was strange of me to think that all stuttering is the same, e) and to think at one time I thought stuttering as awful and voluntary pseudo-stuttering as hard ..how amusing And I believed that a person who stutters is not as worthwhile as someone who does not? How strange ..I do believe that the sooner you can go through the hierarchy and stutter in the most important situations in life, the less struggling will there be in your speech. Voluntary stuttering, together with cognitive techniques, help resolve emotional problems about stuttering. When there is no longer guilt, anxiety, shame or self-downing, solving the practical problem of struggling with speech becomes so much easier.