Knowing what words before you say them

[Daniel]

I was just wondering how many people like myself know what words they'll stutter on before they even say anything.

Like this morning i was talking to someone about where such and such was from and i just couldn't say the word "Malaysia". Now i knew i would block on it long before i said it. I was going to say "I think he's from Malaysia" but as soon as i started the sentence i just knew. I've always wondered how i know, often long before i actually say the word. I ended up saying "IIII'm not sure"

[jcalm]

I am on the same boat as you. Besides knowing that such and such words i would block before saying it and worse of all, my heart beat would also beat much faster during that instead situation. It's sucks that there is nothing I could do to overcome it, I ended up replacing these words with different words and because of that, it changes the whole point that I was trying to express. Life is tough being a stutterer:mad:

[andrewg818]

Most* adult stuttering involves some degree of anticipatory stress-- envisioning where you are going to stutter--and then tensing up and bracing for the struggle.

[emily445455]

I do that ALLLLL the time :(

[Jimmy169]

Yeah I can def. relate to this. I can practically feel it beforehand. And if you've ever daydreamed in your head and pictured yourself in a situation and how you would talk in it, I can even feel what words I would probably stutter on, without even talking, just by playing out a situation in my head sort of day dreaming, what if I was that guy in the news or something like that, and then going over what I would say I could feel the certain words I would probably get blocks on. It's as though you can feel it in your nerve's.

[wes]

Yeah I can def. relate to this. I can practically feel it beforehand. And if you've ever daydreamed in your head and pictured yourself in a situation and how you would talk in it, I can even feel what words I would probably stutter on, without even talking, just by playing out a situation in my head sort of day dreaming, what if I was that guy in the news or something like that, and then going over what I would say I could feel the certain words I would probably get blocks on. It's as though you can feel it in your nerve's.


I do this exact thing myself. If I have something I need to tell someone I'll rehe in my head exactly what I want to say and I'll know exactly which words I will struggle on.

Most of the time I'll keep my mouth shut. If neccessary I'll replace words but it would be to the point that no one has a clue what I'm saying.

[andrewg818]

yeah-- but the irony is--- it's not the stuttering that's causing the thoughts--but, more often, the thoughts that are causing the stuttering..

You've probably heard that what u think about is what u g et--or..what you can envision...you can create.. In stuttering, PSWs envision/think negative thoughts --imagining their stutters--and thus, creating those realities..

[DKoz]

I was just wondering how many people like myself know what words they'll stutter on before they even say anything.

Like this morning i was talking to someone about where such and such was from and i just couldn't say the word "Malaysia". Now i knew i would block on it long before i said it. I was going to say "I think he's from Malaysia" but as soon as i started the sentence i just knew. I've always wondered how i know, often long before i actually say the word. I ended up saying "IIII'm not sure"

I know what you mean. I can always tell what words I'm going to stammer on before I even get to it. I have always have had problems with my name. Before I even get to saying my name I can sense a stammer coming and it doesn't matter where in the sentence I have my name I know I'm going to stammer it.

I remember once in class it was the first day of school and we all went around introducing ourselves and I was like "Hi my name is *block* Dan" and people had weird looks on their faces like I forgot what my name was or something.

[Daniel]

Well it’s good to see I’m not alone. I can relate to all your stories. I remember back at school in my last year, we’d just come back from work experience and the teacher was going round the class asking people where they’d been for the last week. I just couldn’t say it until someone else had said it for me, of cause everyone in the room had a good laugh about that. Fancy someone not knowing where they’d been all week, I suppose it would have seemed quite funny. :o :D

I also find it interesting that when someone else says the word you’re stuck on, nine times out of ten I can then say it without any problems. It’s almost like a pressurized can that I’m struggling to open, but when the word is out in the open the pressures gone.

I wonder how much of stuttering is hard wired (neurological) and how much of it is learned behaviour (psychological). :confused: I met some when I was at college who was an ex-stutter and he said that just being around people whom stutter brought it all back, so he avoided me like the plague. :p

[eva]

I remember once in class it was the first day of school and we all went around introducing ourselves and I was like "Hi my name is *block* Dan" and people had weird looks on their faces like I forgot what my name was or something.

I've had the exactly same experience, more often than once. I also tend to look away from people when i block, and in class i will look down, so im sure i must look weird too. Like i was thinking really hard what was my name again.

I know also the words i will stutter, i've been wondering if thats the reason why i get stuck on certain words; im afraid in advance that i will. when i try not to think the coming words or scan sentences, i think it helps a little. Then i talk quite slow and i think people can get the impression that im extremely bored or impassive.
I also find it interesting that when someone else says the word you’re stuck on, nine times out of ten I can then say it without any problems.
I know. When there's pressure or stress or an instant need to say one particular word, there is stutter. If i could keep on an attitude i sometimes have, that i dont care if i will stutter or not, and always stay calm and confident, i think i'd stutter much less. but usually the fear of stuttering makes me nervous, and then i of course stutter.

[Hattitude]

I word substitute a lot. It's a little easier when I can swap out words and still convey meaning.
The problem I run into is when I'm forced to say names of people or places. I can't substitute those so I normally stutter on them heavily. When I was younger, I remember a few times I tried substituting names with hints to try and get people to guess the name. That ended horribly since I made no sense at all and was greeted with a look of utter confusion.

[Manofsteel18765]

I have problems saying my name too 98% of the time. Therapy has helped, but cant seem to get started. I used to get it alot, " Did you forget your name?" or if I was at a party or social event where alcohol was available, they would say Wow, you sure been drinking. Usually I would not have had anything. I have tried to start telling people when I first meet them that I am a stutterer, so atleast they will not be uncomfortable too. Maybe they will not think I have Tourette's when I block. :)

[Hattitude]

I have problems saying my name too 98% of the time. Therapy has helped, but cant seem to get started. I used to get it alot, " Did you forget your name?" or if I was at a party or social event where alcohol was available, they would say Wow, you sure been drinking. Usually I would not have had anything. I have tried to start telling people when I first meet them that I am a stutterer, so atleast they will not be uncomfortable too. Maybe they will not think I have Tourette's when I block. :)

I had this happen to me also.Once at a guy told me "Man everyone I see you, you are so high and tripping over your words" (I don't get high).

One time a girl at a bar accused me of making up my name because she assumed that my block was an attempt to think up a new name. "I don't believe you, you had to think about it!" She wasn't even being funny she was serious :(

[spacebow]

*sigh* This happens to stutterers when they start developing "word fears" as well. In my case, I'm a VERY conscious person. If I stutter on a particularly long word in the past, I'll will always try to avoid using it even before I say what I want to say. If I force myself to say it in a conversation, I stutter 99% of the time. This is when substitutions come in handy.

Some day, I can hopefully use the word "necessary" in a conversation without stuttering. I mean it's such a useful word...

[Ayman]

same here, sometimes my anticipation os wrong and i can actually say the word, then im like HA you dont know till you actually tried.

[Mcnutters]

Yea i know! I know the word is going to mess me up, Yet every so often i can say it and in my mind "in i said it" and i get happy