Do you have a stutter? Does one of your children have a stutter? Do you know somebody who has a stutter? This article is all about the speech impediment known as stuttering or stammering. It includes information about stuttering and also treatments which are available to help people who stutter to achieve fluency. Stuttering is a much larger problem than many people think. Latest research suggests that as many as one percent of the population of the UK has a stuttering problem and that around eighty percent of these people are male. I had a stutter for eighteen years. I have been informed that I started stuttering when I was only four years of age. I regularly attended speech therapy over the next fourteen years before deciding that it was unlikely to ever help me to achieve fluency. The stutter was one huge frustration for me as at times I could talk very well. Certain situations such as when I felt under pressure or when I was very tired, was when speaking fluently became very hard for me. I had a number of words which I believed that I was unable to say and would often fear these type of sounds. I would go to great lengths to avoid having to say them, which was not that easy at times. Some people I have met have become extremely good at hiding their own stutter. They have stated that most of the people that they know are not even aware that they have a speech impediment. Other people are not able to hide their stutter in this way and will have what is perceived to be a much more severe stutter. There are a number of treatments for stuttering including the normal route of speech therapy via the local doctor or hospital. Many people who stutter find this form of therapy very frustrating as there are often long waiting lists, and the sessions are normally quite short and irregular. There is also private therapy in the form of people who have managed to overcome their own stutter. This can be on a one-to-one basis or in a group situation. Other people attempt to seek help via hypnotherapy or confidence based courses. I managed to overcome my own stutter after a lot of hard work and practice. It was not easy by any stretch of the imagination, however the results have totally transformed my life. I have now enjoyed speaking fluently for the last ten years. I have met many people who stutter in that time and have been amazed to hear some of the stories of how they started to stutter. Contrary to popular belief it does not just originate in childhood but can start at any age. A traumatic event can at times trigger the start of a stutter problem in people as can certain forms of abuse. If you have a stutter do not despair, help is available and fluency can be achieved if you have the right attitude and are willing to work hard to kill off your stuttering demons. |
