How would you feel...

[warrick]

I have a reather unusal question. If you had a magic pill that instantly cured stuttering, what emotions would you feel while you were holding it in your hand, about to swallow it??

Now, guess the most obvious answers would be excitement, joy and a whole bunch of positive emotions, but what else would you feel??

The reason that I ask is that a number of years ago, I found out about an apparent cure for stuttering and promised that I would never have to worry about stuttering again. Once I had booked all the tickets and flights andit was all finalised, I found myself turning into a nervous wreck. I was unable to sleep for days and I was having a surprisingly tough time of it. For some reason I felt absolutely petrified that this cure might actually work. All I could picture was me trying to live my life fluent, and kept thinking about all the extra responsibilities Id put on myself to be successful at everything that I felt stuttering was holding me back from.

I feared lossing my stutter. Has anyone else experienced anything similar, or am I crazy?

[Adrian]

I feared lossing my stutter. Has anyone else experienced anything similar, or am I crazy?

Warrick, my friend, you are crazy! :D

Just curious what was this "cure" you pursued?

[warrick]

LOL. Thanks for the confirmation Adrian. I had a strong suspision. It was a course run by Andrew Bell in Kirkaldy, Scotland. Unfortunately it did not work for me and the course has copped a lot of critisism in the past, but it did point me in a new direction that I would not have found on my own, as well as meeting some amazing people that I shared the course with, and who I remain close friends with 7 years later, so for that I am very thankful.

[tb1223]

Hmm. If my stutter was suddenly and magically cured, I think I would make a lot of life changes. I would have to really sit down and think about what I would want to do, and yes, I think it would be a little scary. Should I change my major? Should I rethink my career path? I wouldn't know where to begin. To be honest, I've always kind of wanted to try my hand at stand-up comedy or improv. Maybe I would look into that. Who knows?

Another major issue would be that now I would no longer have stuttering as an excuse for all my problems in life. If you're unsuccessful in a social situation, it's pretty easy to just say to yourself "Pff, it's because I stutter." And that may very well be true...but if you didn't stutter anymore, would you REALLY be up to the task of being successful in all the situations you were unable to previously because of stuttering? I think it would be a real wake-up call in some ways. Obviously if I didn't stutter anymore I would be unbelievably thrilled and happy about it. But it wouldn't be the end of all my problems; it would be the beginning of the process of fixing them.

[happy7117]

LOL. Thanks for the confirmation Adrian. I had a strong suspision. It was a course run by Andrew Bell in Kirkaldy, Scotland. Unfortunately it did not work for me and the course has copped a lot of critisism in the past, but it did point me in a new direction that I would not have found on my own, as well as meeting some amazing people that I shared the course with, and who I remain close friends with 7 years later, so for that I am very thankful.

Great thread!!

GASP!! Andrew Bell! GOOD GOD! I hear from reading testimonials from people who have taken his course that the course is nothing but a hurtfull experience.

Hurtfull in the way, that Andrew Bell promises that the course will permanetly end stuttering, and literaly change people's lives who take his course.

It is emphasized over and over that his course DOES NOT work. I hear that people go to the course expecting great things, but after it's over they find out the dreams of fluency Andrew Bell promises them are false dreams.

The course is nothing but standing around all day reading passages with "strong deep voices". It's some sort of subconscious thing I guess.

People leaving the course stutter worse than before they get there.

Go to the following link to read experiences from those who have taken his course:

http://www.stuttering-cured.com/bell/

Onto the real thread of a magic pill!

If I had a ticket to regular fluency in my hand, I would be in extreme euphoria.

I would be overcome with feelings of "thank god, the day has come", I would be filled with hope, it would be indescribably feelings.

I would also think about the fact that I would no longer be a person dealing with something that I hated so much.

I would also fear that a so-called pill would not do as promised after getting great feelings of hope that it would work.

I would feel scared that I would not be the person I was before taking this super pill.

Would ending stuttering change my personality completely??

Being used to something, and then losing it completely probably would be like losing a part of one's life one has known for so long.

We want to lose stuttering, but losing it would probably be like losing a vital part of who we are.

I would take any sort of magic pill, or sweet tasting magic potion to get rid of stuttering, but I would not want it to erase who I am on the inside.

But being free of stuttering would be better than winning the lottery, or better than being a millionaire.

Being free of stuttering would be better than being the richest man in the world.

It would be an endless of excitement when wanting to speak.

In all seriousness, maybe if there is not a pill, what about a special drink or potion to relieve stuttering??

I once bought a device from a man who promised to cure stuttering. It was called the DSA. DSA stood for Digitall Speech Aid.

Look it up on the net for more info.

I desperately wanted to keep it because it helped greatly.

The day I got it, my hands were literaly shaking, and I was sweating bullets with thoughts of "the day has come, what if it fails, is this a fluke"?

I was petrified if the stutter would leave with this device. Would I be able to deal with something I have never experienced before??

Anyway this DSA helped the stutter greatly, but there was one problem:

After 2 weeks of using it, the wires started to go bad. Why, I do not know.

I sent it back for repair, but IT never got returned.

And for some unknown reason, the positive effects of this device wore off, and left me stuttering extremely tremendously.

Up to this day, I still think the only way to make my stuttering better is by using this device that made it better for that short time.

Everytime I try to email the man who sells the device, I get no response.

I desperately would like to purchase this device, and encourage anyone else to try it out also.

I think this DSA device is the closest a person would get to overcoming stuttering as one can.

If I could buy this device again, I would in a heartbeat.

I just wish this fellow would email me with info on how to purchase the device.

Anyway, I think these Casa Futura Aids, and Speech Easy's, and Fluency Master aids are the closest we will get to that pill we so desperately need.

I am going to try to email the seller of that DSA device?? I will let you all know if I get a response.

I reccomend you all try to email the fellow to try to find info on this DSA device.

When I tried in the past to email him, I could never get a response.

My father emailed him reguarding the device, and that's how I got it? I guess the man replied to my father.

If anyone would like to try to email him reguarding a device, go for it.

Do a search on the web for Digital Speech Aid. That will take you to the website where you can email him

Good luck at trying to get a response from him.

[warrick]

Great post tb1223, that is EXACTLY how I felt. I wasnt sure if anyone would be able to understand it without having been in the situation so I am excitedly impressed by your open-mindedness and insight. I look forward to many more great posts in the future.

Thanks

[Adrian]

LOL. Thanks for the confirmation Adrian. I had a strong suspision. It was a course run by Andrew Bell in Kirkaldy, Scotland. Unfortunately it did not work for me and the course has copped a lot of critisism in the past, but it did point me in a new direction that I would not have found on my own, as well as meeting some amazing people that I shared the course with, and who I remain close friends with 7 years later, so for that I am very thankful.

Yeah, I have heard horrible things about Bell. When I was a teenager I had a similar experience with Martin Schwartz and his workshop here in the states. I thought I would be cured (or at least basically fluent) but his technique did not help me at all. It is such a pity that so many people are preying on stutterers.

[happy7117]

Martin Schwartz and his workshop here in the states. I thought I would be cured (or at least basically fluent) but his technique did not help me at all

You have the same opinions of Schwartz as I do. A venemous snake! That air-flow technique does nothing for me. Worse is Schwartz says it's the the only cause of stuttering is from locked vocal chords. That's balogne. The guy is totaly unreceptive to other causes of stuttering.

He has a one track mind when it comes for the cause of stuttering. He says stuttering can be cured by his little airflow technique--bull! I tried it, it did nothing for me.

Bell and Schwartz should be in prison for stealing are money, and cheating us!

We stutterers are looking for long-lasting true treatment, not false crap given by these theifs preying to cash in on our misery!

I could go on and on about Schwartz, but it's sickening to stand around in vomit like him!

[warrick]

We seem to have drifted a little off topic, but just for the record, I personally dont harbour ill feeling towards Andrew Bell even though I travelled the length of the globe (New Zealand to Scotland) and financed up to my ears to get there. I did not have success personally but I do beleive his intentions were good. I could be wrong about him, but I have a lot of respect for a man who has stuttered worst than a lot of us and had the personal strength to fight it head on and muster the strength to make himself a life of public speaking. And then use his experience to try and help others to battle their demons. Im in no way suggesting that everything he does is right, but there is a lot about him to be admired if you are willing to look, and a lot we could all learn from. He had the personal strength to go out there and find his own answers instead of getting all upset about how others havent delivered them answers to their satifaction.

I personally believe that the nature of stuttering itself demands that answers have to be earned because it takes that kind of personal strength to beat it. I personally have my doubts that someone can just give you the key to beat stuttering even if they have all the answers to give.

Please dont feel this is an attack on anyone, or that I am even defending anyone. I just believe that there is a lot we can learn from anyone. Even the ones we think most unlikely.

[Perad]

If you are introverted with a stammer and take a 'magic pill' I believe you would very much by introverted after taking the pill. Years of nervousness and being picked on wouldn't be cured by a pill. You would still carry that around with you and thus while you wouldn't stutter I doubt you would become an outgoing person.

[Vermillion]

The stutter is what causes us to be introverted, nervous, fearful, etc.
So if you remove the stutter, all these issues will be fixed.
Nervousness doesn't cause stuttering, its the years of stuttering that causes us to be nervous due to our learned fear that stuttering.
Removing the stutter = nothing to be nervous about anymore, nothing to fear about = you can be the outgoing person that you have always wanted to be.

[tb1223]

The stutter is what causes us to be introverted, nervous, fearful, etc.
So if you remove the stutter, all these issues will be fixed.
Nervousness doesn't cause stuttering, its the years of stuttering that causes us to be nervous due to our learned fear that stuttering.
Removing the stutter = nothing to be nervous about anymore, nothing to fear about = you can be the outgoing person that you have always wanted to be.

Ah yes, but will the transition really be that easy? Or will years of being accustomed to shyness and nervousness prove to be a difficult habit to break, even if you wish to be outgoing?

[Vermillion]

Ah yes, but will the transition really be that easy? Or will years of being accustomed to shyness and nervousness prove to be a difficult habit to break, even if you wish to be outgoing?
As time progresses, you start gaining more and more confidence. You use the successes and gradually your viewpoint regarding speech will change.
I believe all the nervousness and shyness stems solely from the fact that we have a stuttering problem. We are insecure about it, so we try to hide it. We are afraid of being teased or looked at differently.
Unless you have other self-image problems, or you have an anxiety disorder, then removing the stutter should lead you well on your way to becoming the more confident person you always wanted to be.

[Perad]

I think that the preconceptions that a person has built up about public speaking and engaging new people would take a very long time to shift.

A lot of people who stutter often over analyze speaking situations. A person would still do this and probably still see things which weren't there. This would severely hinder the progress of the person.

Furthermore if a person that stutters has hidden themselves away for a long time re-establishing the key social skills would also be difficult.

You also need to remember that fluent people still get nervous in different speaking situations. Nervousness would still remain for the ex-stutterer. This brings me to the whole 'fight or flight'. A lot of stutters run away or hide from situations which they think will be difficult. If you have this 'flight' personality attribute I just can't see it shifting over night. It may take years for a person to be completely over it. Even then the person wouldn't be magically really outgoing.

[Adrian]

As time progresses, you start gaining more and more confidence. You use the successes and gradually your viewpoint regarding speech will change.
I believe all the nervousness and shyness stems solely from the fact that we have a stuttering problem. We are insecure about it, so we try to hide it. We are afraid of being teased or looked at differently.
Unless you have other self-image problems, or you have an anxiety disorder, then removing the stutter should lead you well on your way to becoming the more confident person you always wanted to be.

I agree. I was completely fluent for about two weeks after a therapy program and I talked every chance I got and put myself in every social situation I could. It was as though a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Think about it, if someone who were in a wheelchair all his life and could suddenly walk, I'm sure he would walk everywhere and run marathons, etc. He would take advantage of his new freedom, not be scared to use it.

[Adrian]

We seem to have drifted a little off topic, but just for the record, I personally dont harbour ill feeling towards Andrew Bell even though I travelled the length of the globe (New Zealand to Scotland) and financed up to my ears to get there. I did not have success personally but I do beleive his intentions were good. I could be wrong about him, but I have a lot of respect for a man who has stuttered worst than a lot of us and had the personal strength to fight it head on and muster the strength to make himself a life of public speaking. And then use his experience to try and help others to battle their demons. Im in no way suggesting that everything he does is right, but there is a lot about him to be admired if you are willing to look, and a lot we could all learn from. He had the personal strength to go out there and find his own answers instead of getting all upset about how others havent delivered them answers to their satifaction.

I personally believe that the nature of stuttering itself demands that answers have to be earned because it takes that kind of personal strength to beat it. I personally have my doubts that someone can just give you the key to beat stuttering even if they have all the answers to give.

Please dont feel this is an attack on anyone, or that I am even defending anyone. I just believe that there is a lot we can learn from anyone. Even the ones we think most unlikely.

Warrick, sorry for leading this thread off topic a bit. But how can you not harbour any ill feelings towards Bell? He has been promising a stuttering cure for years and has left many, many, people crushed when they did not find it with him. I'm not even convinced he really stuttered. It is not unheard of for people to pretend to be recovered when in fact they just want to sell a therapy. I personally want to string people like Bell and Schwartz up. (not that I ever would :D )

[Jimmy169]

There was one time where I thought I was cured. A manager at my work gave me this trick about breathing, and I thought it worked. I called a few my friends up that night just to hang out and they were shocked I wasn't stuttering at all, I felt myself that I could control it, my family was so happy, I was so so so happy, lol, words really can't describe the relief and happiness I felt. But then the next day I started to stutter a bit, and I couldn't control it like I thought I could....you know how some days or nights you just have a good night, like a carefree night where u really don't stutter at all, I guess that was one of those nights and I fooled myself into thinking I was cured, when really I just wasn't nervous at all I guess, and I was just having a good night of not stuttering...damn it felt so good though, I thought I could accomplish anything, honestly the best feeling in the whole wide world.

[JDRow]

The stutter is what causes us to be introverted, nervous, fearful, etc.
So if you remove the stutter, all these issues will be fixed.
Nervousness doesn't cause stuttering, its the years of stuttering that causes us to be nervous due to our learned fear that stuttering.
Removing the stutter = nothing to be nervous about anymore, nothing to fear about = you can be the outgoing person that you have always wanted to be.

I agree to an extent, but I also think stutterers have the same range of personality traits as anybody else. Some people are introverted and quiet, whether they stutter or not. I don't think stopping stuttering would make every stutterer outgoing any more than every non-stutterer is outgoing.

I honestly think I'd be a relatively quiet person even if I didn't stutter. I realize that is absolutely not the case for everybody who stutters. In my case, though, I think I'm pretty introverted and quiet by temperament. If I suddenly stopped stuttering, I don't think I'd become very outgoing and talkative. I don't think I'm the kind of person who would just go up to random strangers and start talking to them. It's not like it's something I wish I could do but don't because I'm afraid I'll stutter. It's just something I have no desire to do. I don't know if that makes sense.

So I do think that if I just stopped stuttering it would change a lot of things I do, but I don't think it would fundamentally change my personality or temperament.

[Charlieb]

I have a reather unusal question. If you had a magic pill that instantly cured stuttering, what emotions would you feel while you were holding it in your hand, about to swallow it??


I have often thought about it to be honest I would have very mixed feelings about it, My stammer has shaped who I am since my childhood, If I didn't stammer I wouldn't be the person I am today, I used to get a hard time from kids when i was growing up and with hindsight that made me very driven to achieve my goals in life, maybe If I was fluent back then I could have been whittier, had sharper comments to come back with. I'd have walked a different path.

I Rememer reading or hearing a toast somewhere before

We may not get what we want,
We may not get what we need,
Just so we don't get what we deserve.

Would I take a "Magic Pill"? I don't think I would now, My stammer has defined me. Would I give it to my son if I thought he was ever to have a stammer.....That's a different question.:(

Charlie.

PS. That's if I Believed one existed..But I don't.

[Standingtall]

I have a reather unusal question. If you had a magic pill that instantly cured stuttering, what emotions would you feel while you were holding it in your hand, about to swallow it??

Is this an "The Matrix" question, if i take the red pill or the blue pill. :D

If i was younger, i would have been very excited and at the same time, very nervous and feelings of unworthness. Not all of it would be in my self-esteem issues, a part of me will be saying i will accept defeat.

I would be a different person, but how much i really can't say for sure. But i will not forget the feelings of the struggle and hard lessons in life. That part of me won't change, but my compassion will grow even further. Then i would wish other people that are suffereing would also have a magic pill that will cure their problems.

If you had a limited supply of that magic pill, today, i would pass it on to the younger generations or to someone who has a more severve stutter than i do. My 2 cents.