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From: Barb Wimpee
Date: 14 Oct 2005
Time: 07:47:36 -0500
Remote Name: 69.76.71.129
I, like all stutterers, do not have a problem when singing, talking in unison (like in church) or reciting cheers. All of these are rythmic and I have assumed the breathing patterns of these types of speech are built in. They are also speaking times that are not threatening. As a covert stutterer, I found ways of avoiding words I could not say. I became a walking thesaurus. I also learned the parts of speech so that I can invert sentences very quickly in my head to say them in a way that would be more fluent. I also just plain avoid speaking sometimes if I am having a particularly hard time speaking. These times can come in chunks of time that can last for a day, a few days to a week. We talked about this at our NSA meeting in Milwaukee and I learned it could be linked to not feeling well, hormones, or other physiological factors. It is complex though. I can have a situation where it really flares up. If I am in a situation where I am feeling intimidated, it is almost like I set myself up mentally for failure in speaking. I can actually have panic attacks when this happens. Stuttering for me can be a very mental game. Like in sports performance, visulaization can really help or hinder your performance. I can psyche myself up for success if I try really hard. It doesn't tale me much to psyche myself up for failure. I can sabotage myself with thoughts. I am an aggressive person when it comes to conquering these things. I think I learned that from competitive swimming as a kid. I draw on that when I have to perform. Sometimes I can do better than usual after mentally preparing myself for success. Thanks, Barb