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From: RB
Date: 03 Oct 2005
Time: 13:17:50 -0500
Remote Name: 69.141.74.86
My decision to stop hiding was a very gradual one and there were many steps involved. At the time I was working with an SLP who stutters, and it was there that I started to learn about voluntary stuttering. I cannot emphasize enough how much I hated the idea of voluntary stuttering. I didn't want to do it. After all, the LAST thing I wanted to do was stutter. Eventually I started warming up to the idea and eventually, it became easier. It took me a very long time, however, before I started attending self-help meetings or even talking to my friends about stuttering. And even I as went through the process of "revealing" that I am a PWS, I would still find myself hiding in certain situations and reverting back to avoidance behaviors. Looking back on the speech therapy I had as a child, I would want the therapy to include two things: a) A focus on techniques to increase fluency b) An approach that dealt with my emotions and feelings toward stuttering.