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From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 19 Oct 2005
Time: 17:16:52 -0500
Remote Name: 69.22.238.4
Lara, thanks for your comments. You are correct that voluntary stuttering helps with overcoming feared sounds. Voluntary stuttering is extremely useful for people who demonstrate shame and avoidance behaviors. Stuttering on purpose helps the speaker begin reducing negative feelings by stuttering in an open and volitional manner. A person who is afraid of stuttering in public benefits from voluntary stuttering because this strategy teaches him or her that stuttering is acceptable and allowed. And yes, voluntary stuttering may lead to increased moments of “real” stuttering for various reasons. Often times, people who begin confronting their fears of stuttering begin speaking more. For example, a person who has avoided speaking in class may decide to start speaking up in class. Increased moments of speaking often lead to increased opportunities for stuttering. For many stutterers, increased stuttering is a sign of success because they are talking more rather than substituting words and avoiding speaking situations. Sometimes voluntary stutters turn into real stutters. This is a normal part of the process. My view is that when a voluntary stutter turns into a “real” stutter, the speaker has given him or herself a good opportunity to work on moving forward through the stutter. I believe that all moments of stuttering, whether real or volitional, offers the speaker an opportunity to work on his or her speech.