Do you like talking about your stuttering?

[J1S]

I do. I especially like it when people I just meet ask me about it.

Makes it seem like its out of the way. That I can shape how people view it myself instead of just constantly worrying they think im messed up or something.

I also seem to stutter less when I am actually talking about my stuttering haha.

[JDRow]

I don't, but it's something I'm more comfortable talking about with some people than I was before. I think talking about it here helped with that, and going to speech therapy where I have to talk about it. I used to hate to have anybody mention it, even if it wasn't in a mean or mocking way. Now it doesn't bother me as much, and I can talk about it with a few people. But it's still not my favorite conversation topic, by far.

[J1S]

Maybe I think the way I do because all anyone has ever done is try to ignore it. It's there, we all know it, if you don't know what it is just ask me about it. I'm happy to tell someone.

Maybe Canada truly is more polite then then everywhere else :p

[Marrow]

I dont like talking about it myself, although i talked about it with my parents a few days ago for the first time in ages and felt remarkable comfortable, although like i said this usually isnt the case.

If its with a friend i usually get really embarresed, not too sure why, maybe its because i want to pretend its not there, although blatently it is.

The only other time i really talked about it was telling a teacher or lecturer i stuttered to make them aware of it.

[Requiem]

Sometimes I like talking about it. I never used to before but no that I'm more open about it, I don't really mind talking about it.

[JDRow]

If its with a friend i usually get really embarresed, not too sure why, maybe its because i want to pretend its not there, although blatently it is.

I feel the same way, I think. I just don't like knowing that my stutter is anything people are giving any thought to, and when they bring it up, it feels like they are.

[J1S]

I feel the same way, I think. I just don't like knowing that my stutter is anything people are giving any thought to, and when they bring it up, it feels like they are.


The only person I can honestly say that does not give any thought to my stutter anymore is my mom. I think she doesnt even notice it anymore, but she has had 20 years listening to me to learn to ignore it, and about 7 years before I was born from my dad stuttering.

I think most people notice when it is happening, it's just wether or not they care.

[timitao]

J1S - I'm with you, i'm one of them crazy fools who like talking about it. I actually bring it up in conversation with strangers.

Now i'm at a stage where my stuttering is very mild, people actually don't believe i stutter.

Why shouldn't we talk about it? its had a huge impact on a lot of our lives, and by not talking it only eats away at us.

I think for most stutterers its a taboo subject, like talking about with your parents you just don't do it.

But how are we supposed to expect people to understand how much pain it can cause if we don't tell them!

I think for a lot of pws they think if they don't talk about it, they wont stutter as much - bull shit.

[JDRow]

I think most people notice when it is happening, it's just wether or not they care.

I agree. I stutter a lot so I don't really think that anybody doesn't notice. It's obvious.

I was thinking about this more, and I think the main reason I don't like having people bring it up is because in the past when people have brought it up, it's been in a negative way. I know in a lot of people's families stuttering is very taboo, but it seemed like most of my family brought it up whenever they felt like it, and pretty much always had something negative to say about it. And obviously in school people would bring it up to make fun of me about it. That always made me feel like crap, so now I just have a negative response whenever it comes up, even if the person is just interested or curious or supportive. I'd rather it just not be mentioned, but at the same time I'm trying to work on that, because I know people are curious and it is easier for everybody when it's not something taboo.

[kghayesh]

I actually bring it up in conversation with strangers.

Well I have to say you have got some good guts for that. I can never ever dare to say that. Sometimes I feel I'd like to burst it out, but my inner feeling that I'll look so weak to other people (although it's too damn obvious) by exposing myself to them. I feel it's like being in the !


Why shouldn't we talk about it? its had a huge impact on a lot of our lives, and by not talking it only eats away at us.


But how are we supposed to expect people to understand how much pain it can cause if we don't tell them!

Actually I am skeptical about people's response and feedback after they know all the pain we go through. Some people may think like "ohhh how pathetic!".. others may go like "oh no, that must be so hard to live with, what a pity! " and others will just don't give a crap and don't feel like they don't wanna talk to u again.
In my humble opinion, talking about stuttering with other people denotes a turning point in their relationship to you, whether a good one, or a bad one. That's why I never opened it up with anyone.

[timitao]

i don't what pity i just want to be understood. I think its all in the manner you do things, when i talk about it im happy and comfortable and this then makes the other person feel comfortable.

Dont get me wrong its taken a lot of effort to get to a stage where stammering is just something i do from time to time.

with regards to looking weak, we all have weaknesses some people tend to show them some hidw them - but we all have them.

What i find happpens when i talk about stammering to a complete stranger and amazing thing happens they feel inclined to share a weakness or an imperfection.

[bignick]

I will talk to anyone about my stutter, anyone who is willing to listen. Its not a major issue exposing my stutter, I am one of these people who wear their heart on their sleeve and what you see is what you get.

[J1S]

What i find happpens when i talk about stammering to a complete stranger and amazing thing happens they feel inclined to share a weakness or an imperfection.

haha yeah I find that too.

[timitao]

for example i went for an interview for a college course and said that i stammer sometimes especially when im nervous. The interviewer then told me how his wifehad a stammer, and that hes dyslexic. Isnt it strange ppl feel the need to share a personal issue when you do the same.

[sbtalk]

For me, I absolutely hate talking about my stutter.

It's sort of like I'm in denial about it. I don't have a bad stutter but it's there and at times it's very obvious.

I don't know why I don't talk about it. It just makes me feel uncomfortable and I cringe every time the issue of stuttering (even if not related to me) comes up.

Eg. I just can't watch "A Fish Called Wanda" - it makes me sooo uncomfortable and I totally cringe.

But I've come to realize that's what set me back in life. I've pretty much wasted 10-15 years of my life sub-consciously hiding from my stutter.

But not any more! From the guidance of a therapist I'm going to start an online stuttering business - and so I will HAVE to reveal to the world that I stutter and start talking about it.

[peebee]

You know sbtalk, I'm somewhat comforted to know that you felt the same way I feel now. I HATE talking about my stutter, I actually haven't talked about it to anyone in 10+ years except my speech therapists who I stopped seeing but I'm going to start seeing again soon I hope. My stutter like yours isn't that bad, so I can hide it pretty well. For me, when I go to class, I leave with unanswered questions. When I go out with friends, I have untold jokes/comments. When I go clubbin I dont talk to as many girls as I should. Even though I know that my friends and family don't care I still act very shy. The weird thing is though is that I almost have perfect fluency when I'm not nervous. My problem is that I get nervous way too easily and I think too much of my own stutter even though I know I shouldn't

There was some video someone posted on this forum a while ago about people living with their stutter and during the first interview about 45 seconds in when the guy started to block, I immediately turned it off because I was rather disgusted and felt sick to my stomach. That's an example of the self loathing I have of my stutter.

I do applaud you for taking the advice of your therapist, I wish I had the courage you and everyone else in this thread has... oh and sorry for the kinda long/OffTopic post but I wanted to get that off my chest =)

[Jeff99]

i love talking about my stutter it's a huge part of my life an i believe it has made me into the caring honest person i am today.
i believe that if i didn't stutter i wouldn't be as understanding as caring of course i would still be as good looking lol but i believe it has made me a better person.
it's a behaviour i have i like talking about it as i do all my behavours

[Foxglove]

I don't mind talking about my stutter at all. If people ask me about it, they usually start with "I hope you don't mind me asking..." or something similar but it feels strangely good to talk to someone that wants to know more about it. I've also noticed I hardly stutter in these situations.

[Hans]

You know sbtalk, I'm somewhat comforted to know that you felt the same way I feel now. I HATE talking about my stutter,
There was some video someone posted on this forum a while ago about people living with their stutter and during the first interview about 45 seconds in when the guy started to block, I immediately turned it off because I was rather disgusted and felt sick to my stomach. That's an example of the self loathing I have of my stutter.

I do applaud you for taking the advice of your therapist, I wish I had the courage you and everyone else in this thread has... oh and sorry for the kinda long/OffTopic post but I wanted to get that off my chest =)

Peebee, the loathing you feel is for the image of you stuttering. This thinking is harming you every time you cause this movie to be played in your mind.
Think about all the positive, good things you represent to your family, friends and strangers you meet every day. Really feel yourself into those positive images. Work on making them into a long, feature-length movie. They portray the real you. If those hated images try to intrude, let them pass on. Stuttering is just something you do, not what you are.:)

[Hattitude]

I only talk about my stutter with people I'm comfortable with, strangers not so much. But, I will mention I stutter if I'm speaking with someone for the first time and I start blocking badly. I don't say anything other than "I stutter".

[Jeff99]

i used to say i have a speech problem i could always get that out prefect.

[Kgoldberg1986]

I only tell people if I begin to block or stammer... I never tell the people that I stutter... I use the words speech disorder instead... People view stuttering as something that everybody does but "speech disorder" is something more serious...

[jsussman43]

Sometimes my friends "impersonate" me as a joke and i tend to laugh with them. They dont really know that im going through a hard time and that i hate it. I never discuss it with anyone, not even my parents. I tried to get speech therapy, and it helped but it just died out. Is there any real cure for stuttering? I mean when i think about it, i dont even know how i stutter...its so embarrising

[Clairy]

I do the same as "Jeff99".. Somehow it's so easy to say "speech problem" than it is to say "stammer".. Weird how it works eh?

[Derek181]

i actually have a really hard time saying stuttering... so its a bit hard but these days i have actually just straight out told a few poeple and its pretty amazing to the great responce i got.

[Hans]

Sometimes my friends "impersonate" me as a joke and i tend to laugh with them. They dont really know that im going through a hard time and that i hate it. I never discuss it with anyone, not even my parents. I tried to get speech therapy, and it helped but it just died out. Is there any real cure for stuttering? I mean when i think about it, i dont even know how i stutter...its so embarrising

Laughing with others about yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Now comes the hard part: see if you can mean it.:D

[emily445455]

YES!!! I love talking about stuttering, it's one of my favorite subjects because I know so much about it.

I also like to get it out of the way when I meet new people...makes me feel more comfortable talking about them. :)

[Charlieb]

Laughing with others about yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Now comes the hard part: see if you can mean it.:D

Most of my friends have never even mentioned it to me, not to mind say laugh at it. I think they know how much of a hard time I had in school.

These days, and a lot more so lately I'm a lot more comfortable talking about it. When I do its mostly to Family, I don't see it as a disability, more a bad habit I need to break - which I think is important. I've a very positive clear idea o how I feel about my speech now and I know where i want to go with it.

Being able to laugh at yourself is indeed a great gift, not allowing your speech rule your life is an even bigger one.

Charlie.

[JDRow]

Laughing with others about yourself is the greatest gift you can give yourself. Now comes the hard part: see if you can mean it.:D

That may be true, but it doesn't give other people an excuse to be disrespectful. I would never laugh at a friend for something they were struggling with. Laughing about a truly funny situation is one thing, and laughing at a person is another.

[DKoz]

I do like talking my stutter because it's a good stress reliever. But there are certain people who I do not speak to it about, one being my mother. The reason being is because my stuttering came from her side of the family and whenever I talk about she would get a slightlook of on her face. So I would save this discussion for other people.

[nate]

Typical conversation with a stranger:
Stranger: Hello, Could you please tell, show, blah blah blah whatever?
Me:(silence)
Stranger: Do you speak English/Arabic?
Me:(strange sounds in my throat)
Stranger: R u ok
Me: I stammer (usually this comes out just before the stranger starts to call for help thinking i might be having a seizure or something!)
Stranger: OK never mind i"ll ask someone else- this makes him a SCUMBUM:mad:
or
Stranger:Oh ok.-this makes him a good guy/gal.:)

Of course after a bit they leave coz i dont say the time i just show them my watch face or shake my head to feign ignorance.
this shit.

Nate

[andyr78]

I don't think I am comfortable talking about my stutter with anyone. I mean I have talked about it pretty extensively with my wife, and family (not including my children). But it's tough when your 5 year old son asks you "why do you do that?" when something gets blocked. Initially I want to get angry, but then I realize he is just curious. That has been the hardest thing, for myself though. Is talking about it with my children.

[Roley]

"Stuttering is just something you do, not what you are."

Thank you Hans. We should all have a framed poster of those words!

Roley

[Standingtall]

I can talk to anyone who shows a interest in our . It also gives me a view what fluent people think as well.

[Chad]

I have only recently started trying to get comfortable with talking about it. But that was a conscious decision to do so.

When I recently decided to stop hiding and do something (I have no idea what yet) about it, I started forcing myself to talk about my stuttering.

I am surprised now how much it comes up when I am willing to talk about it. And even more surprising is how many people already know/understand/don't care. That is comforting on one hand, and on the other it makes me realize how bad I really am at hiding it.
:rolleyes:

[peikayla]

I like talking about my stuttering is someone asks. If they don't ask I don't bring it up... I don't want to make myself different from everyone else I just want people to treat my the way they would treat anyone else.. I don't need the special looks or the silence that follows the stare.... I love to inform people about my stutter but only if i feel I need to or if they ask... My Stutter is me... and I am it... MY life would not be the same without it and I wouldn't want it anyother way... i am not ashamed of it... and not ashamed to talk openly about it.

[barrymcgee]

No body is perfect guys, be open about your own imperfections...