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From: John Paskievich
Date: 14 Oct 2007
Time: 15:26:55 -0500
Remote Name: 24.77.216.171
Hi Shari; The turning point came one week several years ago when I had to do a series of TV and radio interviews in various cities about my past film work. I remember feeling terrible anxious that I would stutter and would botch the interviews. I tried my utmost not to stutter which just raised my anxiety and made my speech that much worse. After doing the interviews I wondered why after all these years I was still trying so hard to please my listeners even those I didn't like. Why don't I just try to please myself? If I get rejected for my stuttering so be it, but I will never again reject myself for my stuttered speech. Slowly I began to let go of the load of shame, anger, and self loathing that I, like so many stutterers that I have met, carry around with them. The more I accepted my stuttering the more fluent I became. It's important to know that self acceptance is very difficult when you are young and making your way through the challenges of school, work, friendship, romance etc. That is why most of the people at this conference who write about coming to terms with their stutter are older and have already past through most of life's challenges and responsibilities.