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From: Tim Mackesey
Date: 18 Oct 2010
Time: 15:08:25 -0500
Remote Name: 74.232.10.7
The harder one tries to NOT stutter the more he is imprisoned by it. The fear of it happening rises from the meaning a pws gives stuttering. Example: a pws going for an interview thinking "if I stutter, I will bot get the job...I'll be seen as incompetent." That 'mindreading/projecting' and 'black and white thinking' will likely manifest the very stuttering he does not want! Anticipatory anxiety does increase avoidance and/or stuttering. A pws who opens up and admits stuttering in an interview will likely be more calm, less fearful, and more smooth talking. I hear in support groups all the time that the open environment can increase comfort, reduce mindreading (they stutter, too), and improve control of speech. Voluntary stuttering (vs) is REALLY powerful for 1) desensitizing, 2) practice releasing stutters. When the pws is ready, he can make phone calls with vs, field trips with vs, and implement in conversation.