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Dug23
11-11-2005, 11:13 PM
Hi all

Nice to meet you all. Im Tom, 23 from England; currently doing my phd in geography etc... I've had an on/off stutter all my life - was particularly bad when early teens but i still get the problem. I guess me and my family as well thought i grew out of stuttering but i think i just found ways to disguise it - using different words, avoiding certain situations, trying to stay calm and relaxed etc... but it takes a lot of hard work and concentration. I find it particularly hard to control it in oral presentations and on the phone too... with my friends and family it isnt a problem really (most of the time). Most of them probably don't even know. I find it really frustrating - I have a girlfriend and for some reason i find her name hard to say; especially on the phone. I haven't ever seen anyone about my stuttering as like i said i have learnt to hide it or minimise it (or ignore it and hope it fades away). But for example in interviews and stuff i am doing at the moment for my research it still slips back in and i hate hearing my voice on the recorder. I'm going to have to do lots of interivews in spanish next year and really worried that i wont be able to hide it with another language. Anyway that was a bit of long introduction. I'm going to have a look through the forums now. :)

Standingtall
11-14-2005, 03:37 PM
Welcome, I too stutter and had many successful years hiding it from people, but it was physically and mentally draining. The fear of being founded out, and not really living your life the way you want. I decided many years ago, I'm not hiding anymore and I want a life that I control. It took awhile, but i got use to my voice and I'm working on improving it. Don't shy of hearing your own voice, because you will pass it on to people and they will pick it up. Once again, welcome.