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From: Walt Manning
Date: 21 Oct 2008
Time: 16:53:34 -0500
Remote Name: 141.225.97.59
Hi Fiana. Say hello to Lee for me. The work she and her family have done with the Friends Organization is fantastic. I suppose having a positive outlook in general was helpful. I certainly didn’t have a positive outlook about stuttering given all the shame and suffering associated with my experiences of being someone who stuttered for many years. But my success in other areas helped to inform me about my ability to succeed altering my stuttering if I was willing to be persistent. Having good help from wise clinicians at the right time was what helped me turn the corner and begin to reconceptualize myself and my problem. I think my gradual willingness to approach rather than avoid the problem and my willingness to take risks with my speech and practice doing the things that I was afraid to do (public speaking may being the best example) helped me to keep improving. I also think that I was lucky that there was no history of stuttering in my family which may have made it easier for me than for those with a high density of stuttering in their immediate or extended family. As I’ve written in another posting , I think the basic principles for change are (1) More toward rather than away from the problem, (2) Assume the Responsibility for Taking Action , (3) Restructure the Cognitive View of the Self and the Problem, (4) Recruit the Support of Others. I hope these comments are helpful.