Anxiety & Stuttering
Hi I am studying to become an SLP, and I was curious as to if or when anxiety due to stuttering played a role in your life? How do you manage this, or how have you overcome this? If you could give any advice to your younger self what would it be? Thank you!
I will say to teenage Mounah :
” Yo bro,
No worries, it’s ok to stutter. DO not try to be like everybody else. Be yourself.
Ok you stutter, but you love reading, video games, creativity, fighting with your little bro! Show all of this.
Do not fight with yourself when you stutter, embrace it
When you fear or you are stressed. That is normal, think about the moment and analyse your fear. Most of the time, you have nothing to fear about.
If needed, you can go to a psychologist.
And do not forget, the SLP is your best ally in your journey”
Yes although it is pretty clear that stuttering has a neurological basis it is definitely exacerbated by self created thoughts that engender anxiety that will definitely make the stuttering worse. That anxiety comes from the stutterer perceiving that the consequences of losing control over ones speech to the point where words will not come out, as somewhat unbearable. But it is an inside job. A do it to yourself phenomenon. If the stutterer can be taught to see the situation differently and change the way he/she thinks about the experience then the stuttering moment can be minimised. Then and only then should one maybe try getting treatment from an SLP who specialised in stuttering.
The answer to your question on bullying and anxiety is to be found in my ISAD paper. https://isad.live/isad-2020/papers-presented-by/stories-and-experiences-with-stuttering-by-pws/there-are-no-failures-just-life-lessons-anita-blom/
I would tell my younger self (and have told children and young adults who stutter during 25 years of stutter camps) to love and accept myself no matter what, as I have to live with myself. Trying to be as (I think) others want me to is to loose myself. Stuttering is not my fault, so there should be no shame. And as there is no shame, I shouldn’t have to be forced to be hide or “cure” it. That’s up to me to decide. I’d tell my younger self to make sure what I say is worth repeating. I’d say turn your stutter into your trademark and let people remember you for being a superhero, doing what’s hard, but doing it anyway, every day, all day. That takes guts and determination. And to go for my dreams, no matter what, no matter what others say. As a determined person will get there anyway. And to make sure my personality and knowledge are good enough. Not the best, as who wants to be with someone who’s always the best in everything? If any, to be me best self, without comparing myself to others. if YOU want to work on your speech, find a clinician that fits you, as it takes someone you truts to make therapy work. Be honest and tell her/him what you want help with, as you might have different opinions about that. And if you don’t match, keep looking, as there will be that clinician who is your perfect match with whom you’ll get great results. And don’t let people tell you to go for that quick fix, as if it sounds too good to be true, it is. But most of all, to not feel alone. Find others who stutter. Go to camps and conferences. Chat online and make new friends from all over the world.
Stay safe and keep them talking
Anita