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From: Alan (to Kate)
Date: 19 Oct 2012
Time: 11:26:03 -0500
Remote Name: 95.144.97.167
Hi Kate, Thank you for you for taking the time to read and then respond to my paper. You enquired “Do you feel that there are certain aspects of support that an in-person fluency support group can provide that is lacking in internet discussion groups?” Most definitely “Yes”. I was, indeed, fortunate that there were several support groups within a reasonable travelling distance of my home. As a result, I was able to attend on a weekly basis. I found it a safe environment in which to practise techniques and consolidate my speech. It also afforded my numerous opportunities to challenge my fear of speaking in front of an audience and share my experiences. This meant that we were able to learn from each other, while such openness also aiding the desensitization process. I gained immensely in confidence. The group situation developed camaraderie, as well as creating a healthy atmosphere of friendly ‘rivalry’ in which we were inspired/spurred on to emulate the actions/deeds/challenges those around us. We, invariably, had fun. I should stress that whilst I found online discussion groups of immense value, they were only one of the many approaches that I adopted as I strived to come to terms with my stuttering issues. I knew that I needed to TALK and not just communicate via the written word. After all, I didn’t have problems writing – my difficulties occurred when I attempted to speak. I discovered that the human voice is such a wondrous thing – that’s why I now use it at every opportunity. (smiley) My greatest gains were achieved by meeting (and conversing with) persons face to face. We don’t change behaviours by retaining the status quo. Taking action does not guarantee success, but not taking action almost certainly ensures that our lives will remain the same. I realised that I had a choice - do nothing, or do something. It was only when I became proactive that I made things happen. You can read as many books/articles/emails/posts as you wish; you can subject yourself to whatever kind of therapy or approach that you may choose; you can acquire a multitude of tools, join every available Internet group, and gain as wide an understanding of the subject as you are able. But that is not enough. You still need to put into practice what you have learned- and that means TALKING. (smiley). You need to place yourself in the very situations where you experience difficulties. You need to remove yourself from your safe environment, face your fears, expand your comfort zones and tread unfamiliar paths. You need to do the things you think you cannot do. That particular plan of action proved highly successful for me, although (as I mentioned in my paper) we are all unique. I fully appreciate that we are at different stages in our lives – so some people need to address more issues than others. I consider that my active membership of ‘live’ support groups and Internet discussion groups was of prime importance. They were important pieces in the overall jigsaw but they were just that – pieces. There was so much more that I had to do. Incidentally, you may be interested in reading two of my past ISAD Online Conference papers that, I feel, will provide you with a greater insight into the diverse roads that I travelled: (1) “STEP OUTSIDE: Why expanding comfort zones can improve our stuttering and lead to more fulfilling lives” (2003) http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad6/papers/badmington6.html (2) “How Beliefs and Self-image Can Influence Stuttering” (2009) http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/isad12/papers/badmington12.html Thank you, once again. Kindest regards Alan