The Prof Is In

[ Contents | Search | Next | Previous | Up ]


Re: Changing Stuttering Patterns

From: Gary J. Rentschler
Date: 05 Oct 2009
Time: 14:05:41 -0500
Remote Name: 165.190.57.240

Comments

Pam... letting your stuttering out (stuttering openly instead of hiding it or not talking) is an adventure and a very positive step! Congrats. From my own experience as a person who stutters and an SLP, there was a world that I was unaware of regarding how I stuttered. Vivian is right... you are making some excellent observations... and I suspect that there are more to be made. As a "general roadmap", let me encourage you to continue.... as painful as it was for me, I found it very informative to watch myself in a mirror when I stuttered -- I observed many things that I really hadn't allowed myself to be aware of... like all of the struggle I was going through and all the the tension in my throat. I came to realize that I was doing it in reaction to my stuttering... that I was actually making my stuttering more pronounced than it had to be! The harder I tried, the worse it got. Once I took responsibility for having made the problem more severe, I looked to "ease up" and let the stuttering happen without trying to force through or overpower it.. kind of "going with the flow" more. The more information you have and the more responsibility you allow yourself to take for stuttering, the more power you gain over stuttering. Again, this is not a pain-free process. It took a fair amount of courage, but paid off handsomely. I tell myself that stuttering is not my fault; but its my responsibility to do what I can to minimize its consequences. I think that stuttering can get worse or you make make it better... but its always a challenge and often changing. You might find it helpful to go to a support group meeting, like the National Stuttering Association, so you can talk to others who stutter. Warmest regards and best of luck with your stuttering.


Last changed: 10/23/09