Mild Stammer

Urian

I've always had a little bit of a speech impediment, since like the beginning of High School, and it's progressively gotten better and better (less stuttering as years go by) but also there are periods (a few months sometimes) of somewhat increased stuttering, and then after that time passes I almost don't stutter at all.

But my problem right now is that I just want it to go away completely. Lately i've been having troubles saying words that start with the letter D and random other stuff, and conversations don't always flow like I want them to because I have to select other words or lead up certain words with other ones to get the words that I want out. I know I just need to relax my speech and all that, but it's difficult.

I'm sure it's a psycholigcal problem and not physical, i'm a somewhat emotional and kinda moody guy, but it's not like I have aspergers or am introverted or anything like that. I go to the beach daily, go to the gym 4 times a week, and generally have pretty good self-esteem.

Anyway, this isn't anything HUGE, it's just a minor annoyance and I can probably overcome it with time through more personal training as well as getting a girlfriend or something, but i'm just curious if anyone here has experience with stuttering or knows of anything I could do to become less self-concious and self-aware about my speech, since I think that's what makes me stutter in the first place.

Dalboz

I used to stutter really bad when I was younger. I eventually grew out of it for the most part, but occasionally it comes back under heavy stress or sometimes randomly.

I don't remember exactly how I overcame it, but I remember one thing that was recommended to me (and to my father, apparently, as he had a stutter when he was younger, too) was to sing your way through what ever you want to say. I don't know exactly how this works. I don't think it's quite like the musical notes, but has more to do with keeping a tempo to your speech to be sure you get through it without stuttering. Something to try, I guess.

Sarcastro

Seconded.

Stuttering is not a psychological problem- it's a neurological one. Essentially its a synaptic misfire in the language processing section of the brain, specifically in the translation from the mental process to the physical speech process. Singing uses a different section to go from mentally thinking the words to actually saying them, often free of whatever has gone awry in the formation of regular speech.

I hate stuttering, I had a small speech impediment when I was young, and it felt so embarrassing. Tripping over certain words was ... intolerable. I took on a sort of pronounced diction, a slight accent instead. It doesn't sound as relaxed, but it gets me through the day. A very light English accent is all, and I've been doing it for so long now it feels as normal as anything else.

Unless I'm among close friends, I use the same style all the time. Nobody I interact with briefly needs to know, and honestly nobody asks. For me, the accent takes the place of singing- it's an intonation on every word that is one step removed from direct processing. If I don't do it, the stutter comes back in a snap, and it's been a good number of years now. I can't say it's a cure, but its a damn good cover.

Belruel

i have this same problem, it ws horrible as a child too, but has gotten better as i have worked at it. i still have it and have trouble starting sentences with "I.." and words with the letter a and a few others most of the time, and sometimes i cannot speak at all.

i also go through those same periods now where it gets worse, and all i can do is hope it gets better after a while of being more careful of when and how i speak.

good luck