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Family & Friend Fridays

International Stuttering Awareness Day Posted on by

How do you educate your family and friends about stuttering?  We can do so with “pride, respect, dignity, and recognition.”

Stuttering is often a misunderstood and stigmatizing speech disorder. Family and friends may have many questions about stuttering.  People who stutter find themselves in the role of an educator, and advocate. Thankfully, there are many stuttering organizations that can help people who stutter talk meaningfully with their family and friends about the speech disorder. The Stuttering Foundation of America provides bounds of literature designed to educate and inform.  The National Stuttering Association and FRIENDS: The National Association of Young People who Stutter host workshops and conferences for people who stutter, their families, friends and educators.  Passing Twice is a place for LGBTQ people who stutter and their allies, and meets annually at the NSA convention, and international conferences.

How do you educate your family and friends about mental illness?  We can do so with “pride, respect, dignity, and recognition”

The same as stuttering, mental illness is often misunderstood and stigmatized.  People who stutter may deal with depression and social anxiety, and it can be challenging to understand and talk about with friends and families.  Mental health resources are available for you.  The National Alliance on Mental Illness is an excellent resource.  NAMI is “…  the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.”  NAMI provides online educational material, and links to so many resources.  NAMI has chapters across the country for family and friends.  This organization can help with talking about your mental illness with friends and family.

International Stuttering Awareness Day is October 22nd and is celebrated through this online conference.  Mental Health Awareness Week is October 2 – 8th.   Both events are held to raise awareness, educate the public and provide support. These events give us the opportunity to talk with our family and friends about our experiences as a person who stutter and/or with mental illness.

We can CONNECT WITH OTHERS with pride, respect, dignity and recognition.

Nora O’Connor

Friday, October 14, 2016

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Comments

Family & Friend Fridays — 5 Comments

  1. Hi.
    Thanks for the info on NAMI, Since NAMI is a USA organization, and this is an international conference, do you perhaps have information on similar organizations in other countries?

    Thanks
    Hanan

  2. Hello Nora,
    Thank you for sharing such great information. I have never heard of NAMI before, and it sounds like a great organization for individuals who are struggling with a mental illness to become involved in. As a future SLP, I am wondering, how would you encourage an individual who stutters that is struggling with anxiety or depression to get help through an organization like NAMI? I strongly agree that it is very important for people to become educated on stuttering and the mental illnesses that may be influenced by stuttering.
    Thanks,
    Beth

  3. Hello,
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post, and respect your views on stuttering and mental illness. I’m a psychology major, so I’m very passionate in helping others cope with mental illnesses. It’s extremely important to have outputs like NAMI and The Stuttering Foundation of America. Everyone deserves to be respected and understood in every way. I’m new to this site, and I noticed that International Stuttering Awareness Day is celebrated on October 22nd. What all does the online conference do to celebrate this? That’s something very interesting and awesome! I wan’t previously aware that there was an International Stuttering Day, so that’s very neat to learn that there is one!
    Thank you!
    -Sarah Daniel

  4. Hello,

    Nora, what a wonderful piece you wrote and great reminders of the pride and support we have for each other.

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