"I've Got a Secret -- And It's Scaring Me to Death!

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Re: Meeting somewhere in the middle

From: Steve Hood
Date: 10/2/01
Time: 2:47:41 PM
Remote Name: 199.33.133.50

Comments

Hi, Bernie .... Chris gave some good insights into your question. I am not positive I understand your question. I hope I am correctly interpreting your question about whether it is possible "to be both covert and open with stuttering to suit the situation." I am not sure if you mean "covert" with respect to denying and hiding the fact that you stutter so the listener doesn't discover that you are a PWS, or, being willing to do openly do things like "voluntary stuttering" or like "advertising" the stuttering. People who are behaviorally overt, and who demonstrate moderately frequent and severe stuttering, generally cannot hide their stuttering, so they are exposed and discovered pretty readily. I am reminded of the overt PWS who was asked if he ever stubstituted a nonfeared word that began with a nonfeared word in place of a feared one. His answer was that he didn't substitute because be had 26 totally feared letters: a-b-c-d-e-f-g-, etc. He would stutter on the substituted word just as much as the originally intended word. On the other hand there are some covert PWS's who can sometimes allow themselved to "let the stuttering go" in situations such as a convention of the NSA, where to stutter is to be in the majority. And when they are able to accept some stuttering, and be willing to let it show, they do not feel they are carrying such a heavy burden of denial and shame. Some folks find this to be quite a relief, but it is only temporary for the few days that they are in such an accepting environment. There is a lot of commeraderie and fellowship when "brothers and sisters of the tangled tongue" can unite. Bernie I hope I have responded to your question, and not muddied the water.


Last changed: September 12, 2005