Introduction and a particular problem

[Escape]

Alright guys, I've only just joined this forum (infact only discovered it today when searching the Internet for advice on my stuttering problem) and so maybe this could go in the 'Introduce Yourself' section, but I feel I've got a query which requires advice, and so I've posted it in here.

Basically, I've spent a couple of hours this evening searching for stuttering information online and, I may be wrong, but it seems to me that the problem most people have with stuttering is different to my own - like I've been reading profiles of guys who always had problems saying particular words such as a guy who couldn't say the words 'cheeseburger' and 'seven', and so constantly practised saying these words by himself in order to overcome the problem.

Yet my stutter is completely different - 90% of the time I don't stutter at all and am a normal confident guy. But every so often (and this first noticeably happened about 3 months ago but has got a lot worse in the last few weeks), if I'm feeling a bit anxious or nervous, I just can't get some words out and these are nearly always when starting a sentence. I can be trying to say something like 'where are you going to?' and I can start and be like 'whe, whe, whe (unable to get the first word out)' and then have to sort of stop, compose myself and try again, meanwhile the other person is looking at me a bit funny!
Yet most of the time, saying such a sentence would pose no problems at all for me, and so I don't feel practising saying it in front of a mirror or whatever would actually be of any use.

One thing that I will add is that I think its partly psychological - the more I think about trying not to stutter, the worse it'll be. For example, I was doing some sales job today tring to sell stuff in the street, and I'd have to start with something like 'hiya mate, sorry to bother you'. But one time near the start of the day, I stuttered on the word 'sorry' and this made me conscious of it every time I said the line, which made it get worse, I'd be like 'so, so, sor....' several times, unable to get the word out, then have to stop and try again!

I was really just wondering if any of you guys on here could relate to my particular problem, and suggest any possible remedies, bearing in mind I think its more psychological than an actual problem with saying particular words. I did have to have speech therapy when I was about 4 or 5, but I don't think thats really any issue since this stutter never started happening till a few months back (and I'm 21 now).

I'd really appreciate any advice you guys can give me.

[straightstylin]

Hey, I read your post and I'm new here also. I just wanted to say I know exactly what your going through. 95% of the time I stutter I know it is from fearing that I will stutter. But when I'm calm and cool it's a breeze :cool:. I'm going through the same thing and right now I'm just trying not to avoid words, and just say them even it I do stutter. I think the best way we could deal with this is to have a so what attitude and eventually something good will come out of it.

[Standingtall]

Escape, I see your story. I'm new here also and by reading your post I have a few years on you. Don't shake that confidence of yours. I know when I am confident, I don't notice my stutter at all, maybe other people do, but If I have something to do, I'm determined to get my work done. I take pride in what I do. I use to be in sales, selling herbal vitamins, so it brings back some memories of the foot work that was involved. Maybe change your approach, by switching to Hi, then say sorry, somedays I have problems starting too. I smile and say Hi and it gets me going. Best of luck.

[Flash]

My stuttering wasn't that bad when it first started (around 8 or 9, now i'm 18). Over the years it progressed. I think it reached it's worst a few years ago. It's gotten a little better now, but it's still pretty bad.

I agree with you guys on how the more that you think about, the more you'll stutter and vice versa. That's probably why my stutter progressed on and on and got really bad. It really just is all psychological and mental.

Over the past couple months i've been starting to have the "so what" atittude that straightstylin was talking about. I can't say that I don't always care because I still do care a lot about what others think of me. I guess i'm a very self-conscious person. But i'm trying to take it step-by-step and start not caring as much.

[Escape]

Hey thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it, sorry I haven't had the chance to get on theis forum and reply since i started the thread.

What strikes me from the replies though, with all due respect, is that none of you seem to have much idea how to beat the problem - hearing people say that they've been stuttering for years without a genuine solution other than 'try not to care' or 'have a so-what attitude' doesn't fill me with a lot of confidence that i can beat this problem.

I'd definately agree with you guys that its nearly all in the head, its a psychological barrier. But, having accepted that it is a psychological problem, is there honestly no-one out there who can offer any more solutions to it?

Btw, I'm not meaning to have a go at anyone in this post, but I'm looking for solutions more than sympathy!!

[cotton]

I think they're giving you pretty good advice, Escape. :) From what you mention from the psychological aspect of stuttering, it's the anticipation of stuttering that makes you more likely to stutter. As you say, when you think about stuttering you probably will stutter. So if you have a "so what" attitude just for that moment, you can trick your mind into not stuttering. Try that for yourself. Many of us are stricken with severe stutter which is not easy to cure plus we can't afford therapy. But we have developed coping methods based on our experiences. :)

You say that you are fluent 90% of the time. Maybe you could keep a written daily log of the situations you stutter, how your mood is for that day, also coffee consumption makes it worse, number of hours you slept, and so on you can single out what the problem is. Just an idea.

[Standingtall]

I too agree with cotton. There is no overnight fix for our stutter, and if I ever had one, you guys would be first to know. What works for me, and I've said it before, I got a lot of pride in what I do. I try and keep an upbeat attitude about it, because other people can pick up your emotions. I had some sales training. So, keep up that 90% fluency attitude and don't let other people lower that percentage of fluency you have. We are all trying to support you.