How to Stop Stuttering and Stammering

Are you acutely aware that there is something not quite right about the normal flow and timing of your speech?

Do you stammer?

Do you stutter?

Although stammering and stuttering are often referred to as being the same thing, it may help you to think of them in this way:

A stammer is when a person has difficulty in getting the initial sounds out.
A stutter is when a sound is repeated, rather like a machine gun.

Symptoms of a Stutter or Stammer

Although you are aware of it, your stutter or stammer may be hardly noticeable to others. On the other hand it may be so severe that you feel quite disabled by it. You may worry about what other people think when they hear you speak, and about how you will get your point across. You might avoid saying certain words or avoid situations where you have to talk. You may stutter or stammer more in certain circumstances than in others – for example, you might be fine when you whisper or sing, or when speaking to people you know really well. So at times you are likely to experience a range of negative emotions including anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, self-consciousness embarrassment, shame or guilt. The whole process of speaking can take a huge amount of effort, and therefore it can be exhausting for you.
Whilst this experience differs from person to person, typical physical and vocal symptoms associated with stuttering or stammering include:

• Hesitating or pausing before or during speaking, and before or during saying a word.
• Repeating consonants, single letters or sounds, words, parts of words, phrases.
• Prolonging, stretching and emphasizing sounds and syllables.
• Speaking in spurts.
• Jittery movements, such as tapping your foot whilst speaking, blinking your eyes or jerking your head.
• Tension around your face and jaw.

What Causes Stuttering / Stammering?

Most of us stutter or stammer a little at some stage. For example when we are tired, or frightened or shocked. It’s thought that all children go through a period of stuttering as they learn to speak and develop their language. This is quite a natural thing, but when it continues and other people draw attention to it, it becomes an affliction.
The reasons why a person might continue with, or develop this speech impediment are not fully understood. The following may suggest why some people are more liable to stutter or stammer than others:

• Genetic or biological causes
• Having a medical condition or illness
• A trauma
• Anxiety or stress. Although these may not actually cause you to stutter or stammer, you are likely to feel anxious or stressed before you speak in case you do. Therefore it is a vicious circle.
• There may possibly be a link with dyslexia.

Stuttering and stammering are thought to be more common in males than females, and the majority of cases are evident in children before the age of seven or eight. Adults who are affected are often reluctant to seek help, which is one of the reasons why a tiny percentage of all adults are reported to stutter or stammer.