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Re: Pagoclone or Abilify and SpeechEasy as suitable alternatives ...

From: J Scott Yaruss, Univ of Pittsburgh
Date: 20 Oct 2011
Time: 14:06:49 -0500
Remote Name: 208.54.95.74

Comments

Hi Jay - Pagoclone is just an investigational medication at this point. It is not available except through research studies, and there are not any studies presently underway. There have been a number of studies of various medications over the years, and a number of them do appear to show some promise for helping at least some people speak more fluently, but much more research is needed. Even after that research is done, I think it's fair to say that the medications will not completely eliminate stuttering. It will still be important for people taking the medication to address the other aspects of the condition...and as Vince pointed out, the goal is to be able to feel a sense of freedom - to communicate freely and say what you want to say without being held back by stuttering. In fact, this addresses your larger question - whether there is "no hope" - it sounds like you've really worked hard to achieve fluency in your life. Most people who stutter have sought to improve their fluency, and people are able to do that to differing degrees... but the question of whether there is any such thing as "no stuttering" or "perfect fluency" is really an important question to address. I hear you saying that in your job, fluency is viewed (by you, if not by others) as very important... but I wonder if it's really true that fluency is absolutely, 100% required for any job. I have known people in all walks of life who have found a balance between being able to manage their stuttering as needed, but still not feeling like the stuttering is standing in the way of their success or their ability to say what they want to say / do what they want to do. That is, of course, a challenging thing to do, but perhaps something to consider as you move forward in your process of coping with stuttering. I think you'll find that many of the people in this conference will emphasize a balance in goals, rather that focusing entirely on fluency... Just a thought to consider... Good luck with your journey and thanks to you and to Vince for participating in the conference! - Scott


Last changed: 10/22/11