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From: Tim Mackesey
Date: 12 Oct 2010
Time: 05:30:39 -0500
Remote Name: 72.145.144.244
Thanks for the question. In an upcoming professional journal I contributed to five authors- including myself- state their is no known cure for stuttering. Extremely hard work with an integrated approach to therapy can help a person get mighty fluent and mighty brave. I just wanted to clarify the word 'cure.' CBT provides a modality to 'edit' these old hurtful stutter memories (i.e., introducing myself or oral reading). The pws may be overwhelmed with anticipatory anxiety when faced with these situations. When cognitive reorganization is thorough the fear of stuttering in these moments is gone. A pws often cannot use his 'speech targets' when fearful and anxious. Hence, CBT can lead to stable speech control in those situations the pws deems most important. I remember picking up a phone and practicing my question and name over and over again: "Is Randy there? This is Tim." I was fluent each time. When I did the real call my chest filled with panic and I would block. My time-line had dozens of hang ups and severe blocking memories. I use to have to record my voice mail up to 20 times to have one without massive blocks. I had to eliminate the personalization and shame of stuttering on the phone on my name. CBT allowed that transformation.