Anxiety Disorders and Stuttering

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OCD symptoms and stuttering escape behaviors

From: Sam D. Small
Date: 10/17/03
Time: 5:33:09 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.253.8

Comments

Dr. Molt,

I enjoyed reading your article. I found it interesting that you compared the behavioral approaches for treating stuttering to the behavioral approaches for treating social phobia. Do you think that comparisons can be made between another anxiety disorder--Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and stuttering? Specifically, OCD symptoms may include a ritualistic behavior component that "lessens" anxiety symptoms in the patient. Can this be compared to the escape behaviors (eye blinks, head nods, etc.) that may be used to "lessen" stuttering symptoms in the person who stutters? If so, do you think they are learned in the same way? Do you think they can be unlearned in the same way? That is, can successful methods of treating stuttering patients and escape behaviors be used to treat patients suffering OCD symptoms? Thank you for your thoughts.


Last changed: September 12, 2005