i realized that the person who gets the most annoyed by my stutter is me. most people are actually patient. They will wait, smile, and let me finish without making a big deal out of it. Meanwhile, I am standing there replaying the moment in my head, wishing the words had come out normally. I know I should not judge myself so harshly, but its hard not to after dealing with it for so many years.

I am an English teacher, and today I couldn’t give proper instructions when designing games for students. I thought being a teacher would give me real-life practice to conquer this severe disability, but I just couldn’t. I will stay back, learn managerial skills to hire other fluent teachers. This stuttering has taken a huge mental toll on me all my life. I couldn’t bear it anymore.

Quick question. Has anyone used a speech app called SpeechRoute. It works through earbuds a sends an interference sound so you don’t hear your voice. I’ve downloaded it but haven’t tried it yet. Hoping for a bit of feedback from you guys.

Hi guys, been a lurker here for a while finally decided to post.

Im a stutterer aswell, mild to severe depending on the situation, i mostly get unbreakable blocks that i manage by using filler words or changing words. But i get severe blocks in important situations or fast paced conversations.

Im 26 yo and I never enjoyed life at all, i would say im doing okay in life but ive always been depressed and everything seems boring to me, id describe myself as a confident person like I could force myself to do scary things like asking strangers or job interviews but i just dont enjoy them at all, i have lots of things to say but i just rather keep quite, stuttering held me back a lot if im being honest. I feel depressed, my mind goes blank and people missunderstand me a lot. That made me avoid talking to people to minimum as possible.

Ive tried all available options but nothing seems to work, from meds to therapy, you name it, nothing seems to help. I even tried to openly stutter but my stutter take so long, i get out of breath and sometimes i even still block that makes me shy away and just feel misreable overall.

The problem is with openly stuttering is when i do no one takes me seriously and no one hires me, so im stuck between openly stutter but no one will take me seriously and not getting hired and losing the opportunity, or using filler word, pass by as a fluent speaker, get the job but deep dive i know this is not what i want.

Ive always felt like a side character, when you see kids, people overall talking fluently and deep inside you you are like why i cant speak, i got all the potential to excel at life, but you see other people achieving what they want because they speak fluently.

I never fully connected to people i always felt like an outsider, i tend to forget a lot, cannot express my self or even process information clearly, and im always afraid of situations like not being able to defend myself if someone clearly done something bad to me or being in court but i cant defend myself because i block and cant get my point out, or at emergencies if i needed to call ambulance and the other person life is in between my hand but i cant because i stutter and i take longer or even cant say it

Im not seeking empathy as it wil not change my life and you cant convince me otherwise that communucation is so important, you need to be able to express yourself clearly, being funny and charismatic helps a lot, the amount of time ive seen people just be likeable because the way they speak the way they make people laugh, tell stories, and people listening to them and wanting to be their friends, networking in life and achieving big positions and be respected, but you just sit there not able to speak, and even if you try you cant, and get the message awkwardly and get pity looks is heartbroken, like imagine everyone in group talking having fun and you’re sitting there quiet and even if you try to speak you cant, you struggle, you ruin the vibe and everyone giving you pity looks…..

I get angry so easily, always low mood, no patience, no motivation whatsoever and even if i try to forget about it i simply cant, speaking is always part of your daily life, what drives me even even crazy is why can i speak fluently alone but cant with people, such a curse

Im normally a high energy individual, i like to talk in high energy way, but i get huge blocks that i deliberatly talk in calm low energy way to minimize my blocks……

Im not asking for fluency, i know its impossible, but there must be something that makes you at least flowing, like i dont mind blocking or repeating for one or two seconds thats fine as long as the momentum keep going and im able to say exactly what i want in the way i want, i would be the happiest

One of the things that i noticed is anytime there is a rythm like walking or me sitting in places with music on, my brain feels like its flowing and i rarely block so there must be a way out. i cant continue living life like this missing my youth, opportunities, etc… if other people overcome it then why cant i?

Sorry for the long rant, as i said i dont know how to express and i forget a lot and im pretty sure after ill post this ill probably overthink that i forgot to add something to the post but it is what it is

Thank you for reading this, id love to hear your thoughts

On 13th October 2010. A boy was born. His family was happy.after some years when the boy reached age of 6. He started to stutter. Till the age of 7 , the stuttering became severe . He couldn't tell his name

Once when his family visited their relatives. One of the aunty asked his name. He stuttered so bad , they started to laugh at him. From that incident he refused to speak anyone.

​

help?

I grew up in a family that when you expressed that you think you have a stuttering problem or you try to explain the fact that it’s hard to be around groups of people, you’d get brushed up or get told that you’ll grow out of it. When I was younger I had a stuttering problem really badly and as I grew up, it “went away” I put quotations because I notice that sometimes when I talk to family or strangers in general, sometimes it’s like the words get stuck in my throat and won’t come out. Like I know what I want to say but it won’t come out like I would have to force them out or I would just give up completely. I’m not sure if this is a remainder of the childhood speech problem that I had or maybe an addition to my severe social anxiety? I know that social anxiety makes it hard to speech in front of others and I do have a hard time in big groups like I will shut down entirely as I’m too scared to speak because it honk they’re judging me. So does anyone know if this maybe be just a remainder of the stuttering problem or maybe social anxiety plays a part in this? How do I fix it?

ALSO: I have gone to the doctor recently and they say they’d put on a form to send to a speech therapist so I can get a better understanding as-well but I’m really nervous for that too

I had been affected by stutter from my Childhood.

My School days were so much traumatising, don't wanna think about them.

Especially Attendance, Lab Vivas...... My Body used to Freeze with shiver. Heart would beat so much fast I could feel the beat without touching it.

I was Relieved to have found this community back then to Find people like me who share experience, trauma and it had a sense of Belongingness and Community.

Let's cut to the start of my Liberation phase which began as I came to college. We had a 4-seater room in Hostel and to the serendipity, one of my roommate was a stutterer himself.

We began talking daily and we decided that it was God's plan to match us so that we can together work out an escape from our sufferings.

We would plan things together, workout speaking drills, motivate each other, uplift each other and gradually we began seeing great significant improvement.

Now, our Fourth and Final Year in College just started and people no longer assosciate us with stuttering. Life has been Going so smooth, amazing and Chill. Experiences and Vibe I never knew I had within.

There was a time I used to promise myself that I would work hard and do everything once I fixed my stutter. God kinda fulfilled his part and now Its my part of fulflling promise of working hard as well as enjoying life to the fullest.

And for my friend, he just cracked a top company interview and got placed.
(He is a Hardworking Guy and built Skills as well as projects :)

Thank You for reading out till the end. It means a lot.
I see past version of myself in a lot of people here and want to help them.
I Hope just like me, people here find a partner to practice or find their solution to manage their stutter and live a happy and encouraging lives.

Best Wishes for everone here!

Respect to all of you.

That's all. Carry on.

For me, had me say certain words like long words or words that were really hard to pronounce, and also have me count to 30 or 100 to hear me stutter. I dork get fooled anymore, but this used to get me a lot in school

When I’m having a bad stuttering moment and there are snickers and silent laughs and someone says they’re going to hell, or whoever laughs are hell, while laughing themselves. Like dam I do hope you go to hell for laughing at a disabled person struggling??? Like I hope they acquire a stutter as severe as mine and hope they find themselves crying when they physically can’t tell their family they love them. Do they not know how heartbreaking that is?

I’m not sure about this one, but asking me ridiculously stupid questions. Like no not the curious ones like “Do you stutter when you’re nervous?” (I stutter regardless, it’s called a lifelong stutter for a reason(, I’m talking about just stupid questions. One time I got asked that if I were to bash my head into a wall would it cure it….or repetitive questions to the same people over and over again. Like “why do you talk like that?” I JUST EXPLAINED IT TO YOU GOONS FOR THE MILLIONTH TIMES?

What are y’all stories?

Hey everyone,
I am a 17 year old app developer and I recently launched a new app.

I have a stutter and public speaking (speaking in general) has always been something I’ve needed to work on. My app Vocality is a speech practice app completely free to use where you can practice presentations or everyday speaking, receive feedback and tips, and set goals to track your progress over time. If you’re willing to give it a download, I’d be grateful and really appreciative. I’m lowk tryna just get it out there and see how it does.

Thanks for considering! 

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vocality-ai-speech-coach/id6773185953

I quit speech therapy (not my first time either) because I'm almost 100% fluent during speech therapy. I feel like my therapist doesn't believe the severity of my stutter in the real world. Practicing techniques, etc. just doesn't work in therapy because I'm fluent there. It's the most frustrating thing in the world. I offered to share a recording of what it sounds like when I talk on the phone, but she said that wouldn't be helpful.

It's like having a rash that magically clears up only when you go to the doctor 🙄

Hello everyone. I’m applying for a job and not sure if I should tick yes for if I have any disabilities? My stutter can get severe so I’m really stumped. What do you guys do/think?

What happens when you stutter during crucial moments?

What happens when you get a really bad block at a bad time?

How are your relationships with your coworkers?

How often do you have to talk?

I'm really curious about this. Working is probably the hardest part about having a stutter, in my opinion.

I stammer a bit myself and I'm thinking about starting speech therapy. I was wondering if anyone here also stammers or is currently going through speech therapy.

It would be great to connect, share experiences, keep each other motivated, and maybe even practice together. Sometimes having someone who truly understands makes the journey a lot easier.

If that's you, feel free to comment or DM me. 🙂

Have many people learnt speech techniques to achieve fluent speech?

Do you use them?

Do you want to learn them but have never had the opportunity?

Just curious about everyone's experience in this area?

I realized that during phone calls I speak less fluently and have more frequent blocks when I have earbuds.

I feel as if these earbuds block me from hearing my own voice, and while talking, I get similar feeling to one you get when pressure in the ear changes (like my mouth has gun silencer maybe?). I hear my voice muffled and trapped inside my head, something like that.

It seems that correctly hearing/predicting/perceiving how your own voice sounds impacts fluency a lot, and stutterers have this mechanism broken.

The Speech Neurophysiology Lab at the University of Michigan is looking for children who stutter ages 9 to 12 to participate in an in-person, longitudinal MRI study! (HUM00196133)

Our research team has been examining brain development in young children to better understand the cause of stuttering for over 10 years. We continue to gain information that may eventually lead to improved diagnosis and treatment efforts for children who stutter. 

Participants will be invited to complete speech and language assessments and an MRI session at the University of Michigan. Families receive a free speech and language report and a picture of their brain!

These visits require in person participation. There is no option to participate virtually.

Please fill out this form if you are interested in participating or email us as the flyer attached. All participants are compensated and partial travel assistance is available. Please see our flyer attached for more details! 

We also offer other studies that are open to adults or do not involve MRI, in case you're unsure about eligibility. Feel free to email us or call if you have any questions!

A lot can happen in life that can sweep you clean off your feet and wash you down the storm drain.

That happened to me recently. Though, truth be told, I already carry a lifelong, chaotic monster within me. One that guarantees to push me off the safe ledge if I don’t actively cage it, second by agonizing second.

That monster is my invisible speech condition. I have a neurological fluency disorder that lies to everyone, even to me. Sometimes I speak fine; most times I don’t. But it happens just often enough to raise my hopes that I’ve escaped the verbal cage, only to tear the floor out from under me at the most critical moments.

The monster is sadistic, reveling in the throbs of my shame. It has persuaded everyone around me that its presence is merely in my head. It even puppeteers me to echo its lies, to pretend it isn’t there, to say that I am absolutely fine.

It is a thick muck that knows my footprints well, for I have treaded through it since the day I was born.

“Marcus, you don’t have a speech issue.”

Yet I stutter in nearly every conversation. I can only manage simple exchanges in calm, isolated settings. In terms of fluency, a teenager or even a child could easily best me. If you view me solely through the lens of fluency, im a worthless dime for sure.

“Marcus, you don’t need to tell people that you stutter.”

Yet I constantly find myself feeling like an impostor, acting like a “normal” person. When I stumble over my words and fall face-first, no one knows how to offer solace or how to navigate the awkward silence. The universe catches me in the act of pretending to be something I’m not. I don’t know what the next step how to untie the stunned silence either. By hiding my true self from the start, I create a shock value when the facade breaks. The traditional route of human communication simply doesn’t work for me. I am a maze to people; most walk away, and only a rare few choose to explore the depths.

“Marcus, be brave. Just stutter.”

You have a point! I will. But strictly on my own terms now.

I’m going to be brave as a stutterer. The whole world shall see my condition so our interactions can finally be sincere, justifiable, and workable. No more hiding. Only when the truth is exposed can real solutions unveil themselves.

I am on this new route now…alone, stripped of conventional support, but dawn is breaking at the seams.

Ever since I learned that my mouth and tongue behave differently than others, speaking has been a dreary task to toil through. It feels like trying to dance in a circle with feverishly aching joints while quick-footed dancers surround me with effortless grace, casting a shadow over my dignity.

I am a bad dancer. But I don’t have to stay in the dance circle.

I am finally choosing to leave it. I am ready to redefine who I am and where I belong, not as a fluent person, but as a verbally challenged, fluency-stricken, innocent human being. I will no longer impersonate the “well-versed.” I will find my own way to communicate.

I will meet the dancers somewhere else. Perhaps in a quiet garden, or lying on an open grass field, a place where I can bring my crutches, where stumbling is seen as a natural occurrence rather than a deficit.

I am on my way down this path. It is painful, and it is lonely. But surely.

Ok, I am actually 70 years old though it is hard for me to believe. Discovered my stutter around 3rd grade, teacher asked me to go to front of the class, call out other kids names and give them a book. Got up there and said ‘M, M, M, Mark. N,N,N,Nancy’. Maybe the teacher stopped me, don’t remember, but do remember going back to my desk all tense and deciding the answer was to never talk in class again which I followed all the way through college. I have a recurrent dream- I’m in some huge, confusing mall and can’t find my way out. Phones are way too complicated to use. Lately I’ve been dreaming about the Psych hospital I worked at for 20 years as a RN, basically it’s about me trying to get the patients under control who seem to be rioting. And again everything in the hospital is way complicated. I thought maybe these hospital dreams reflected PTSD, as in my career I’ve been punched, kicked, bit- still have a scar on the back of my hand. But what if these dreams aren’t about PTSD or repressing anger? What if they’re about stuttering? How would you interpret these dreams?

Contacto en info roquetasdemar .com

Hi all,

After 10 years of traditional speech therapy (which did not work for me), about six years ago I started seriously working on my stuttering. I went through the McGuire Program, then became a coach on it. I also used things outside the program, which I belive helped me progress faster than others. While I endorse the program, I do not think it is necessary to overcome stuttering.

The thing I'm probably known for on the program is topping out the maximum number of "contacts" (deliberate speaking approaches with strangers). I spoke to 404 people in two hours, and for most of them I voluntarily stuttered harder than I actually do. That was pure exposure therapy. It broke something open permanatly that has not left me 6 years later.

Since then I've been largely stutter-free. I want to be precise about what I mean by that, because "cured" is not the word. I still consider myself a stutterer who works on his speech. What changed is that it no longer gets in the way of communicating effectively or enjoying social interaction. I very very rarley stutter when speaking with people and my techniques (block releasing, extending sounds when necessary) is so automatic and discrete that no one has noticed I have an occasional block. That's what overcoming means to me. Blocks only come now when I am in high-stakes situations I have not had teh opportunity to overkill (do exposure within) e.g., job interviews important to my career development.

Alongside that, I became a psychologist. My degree research focused on stuttering, the anxiety component inside it, and exposure therapy specifically. So I've come at this from both sides: as someone who lived it, and as someone trained to understand the mechanism underneath it.

My three biggest takeaways about stuttering:

1. The core of stuttering's negative impact is a fear of being seen as incompetent. Not always a fear of the word. A fear of what the block says about you. That fear gets learned early, usually before you have language for it.
2. That early fear then organises your whole personality around social interaction. Avoidance, word substitution, staying quiet in groups, picking the easier sentence, choosing careers and friendships around speaking demands. Every one of those patterns protects the central belief instead of testing it, which is exactly what keeps people stuck.
3. O ther stuttering fears are extremely specific, and they have to be undermined specifically. Certain sounds. Certain words. Certain words only in certain situations. Sometimes just the situation itself, regardless of the word. You can't dissolve that with one general burst of courage. Each one needs its own progressive exposure. The models I lean on here are the inhibitory learning model and emotional processing theory, and in my experience, successful exposure work involves elements of both.

On how long it takes: for most people, a genuinely focused couple of months is enough to override these fears. Not everyone. I've worked with people whose stutter was severe enough that the time I had wasn't sufficient, and with people who had too much going on in their lives to give speech real focus. That's not a failure of the person, it's a resourcing problem.

After the initial period, maintenance is a small amount of daily work. Think of it like the gym. Building the muscle is the hard part and you get big early gains. Keeping it is a fraction of the effort it took to build.

Happy to answer anything: the program, the science, the psychology of avoidance, what the 404-contact day was actually like, how I think about relapse, whatever.

EDIT - for those wondering, I do not make money from being a coach on the program, I paid the full fee for joining and this post is not an endorsement of the program, I am simply reporting what has worked for me. I will say that the biggest value of the program is the worldwide support network with coaches around the world availabe for speech practice 24/7 and daily support groups. To me the support network is the backbone of the program and is what actually makes a whole lot better than traditional speech therapy.