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From: Russ Hicks
Date: 10/14/02
Time: 10:22:57 PM
Remote Name: 24.206.85.87
Hello Dishan,
I'm certainly not blind enough to not be able to distinguish between a gift and a true obstacle. In my youth I, too, was a very severe stutterer, and believe me, I realize how much "fun" that was. Been there, done that, NO FUN!!! I finally got to the point where I didn't have those horrible, unbreakable blocks any more. I began t-t-t-to st-st-st-st-stutter l-l-l-l-like this and lemme tell ya, that was probably the most profound relief I have ever had. Yes, I still stuttered - and continue to stutter significantly to this day - but the absence of those profound terrible blocks which REALLY do interfere with communication no longer happen for me. Severe stuttering with those horrible blocks is certainly no gift. As long as you can move forward in your speech - even with stuttering - and not get totally stuck for long periods of time in severe blocks, you can use your stuttering to your benefit. But until you reach that point, I realize how hard it is to see even the possibility of a gift.
Three suggestions:
1. Keep trying speech therapy and join the NSA if you live in the US or other stuttering support organizations if you live outside the US.
2. Join one or more of the excellent stuttering Internet discussion groups, Stutt-L, StutteringChat, Stuttering Support, or StutteringHP. You may be amazed at what you learn.
3. I know this won't help much, but it DOES get better with age. At 30 I was still a pretty severe stutterer. Now at 62, I'm "only" moderate.
Hang tight, Dishan. And please keep in touch.
Russ email: RussHicks@mail.com