Throat Feel Tight??

[godmir]

This is what I have recently noticed about my stuttering.

On Some days I am fluent and on other days I am not-so-fluent, as we all are. I have noticed something quite interesting though. On my not-so-fluent days, I feel the my throat is unnecessarily tight or a little constricted.

Now, I just read someone else's post where they say that stuttering could just be a mental problem, I used to believe this too until i noticed my throat being unnecessarily tense on some days, which is why I am started to thing there might me something physically wrong with me.

Another point to note, on my bad days when my throat (or vocal cords) feels tense but I can still read fluently while I'm alone although I do feel some discomfort in my throat. This is amplified x100 while i have conversations with people and causes me to block.

On a good stuttering day, when my vocal cords feel relaxed and loose, I can read comfortably and conversation with others is sometimes even a joy.

It baffles me as to why or how this happens. Is it something in my brain? Is it my mood? Is it because I haven't got good quality sleep (because I know that when I am tired I have a similar sensation and I do stutter more)? Is it hormones? I have no clue.

So I guess what I want to know is if anyone else noticed a similar feeling of tension/constriction/tightness in their throats.

I would really appreciate your replies guys.

Thanks

[agantx]

On my not-so-fluent days, I feel the my throat is unnecessarily tight or a little constricted.


It's because of tension due to stuttering. Try to learn how to use relaxation exercises like meditation and also practice speech rules everyday in your spear time. Good luck!

[hewhohuntselves]

I have noticed exactly the same thing, but I agree with agantx: I don't believe that it is the cause of our stuttering, but is rather a symptom of our tension and anxiety.

To deal with this I usually try breathing exercises - spending 15 minutes in the morning taking deep breaths and then releasing the air. It helps... :)

[howeee]

Meditation and excercise is good for anyone and surely helps your over all health and well being and it could only be good for everything including speech.

Breathing exercises might make you feel better, it absolulty will do nothing to help your stutter. I challenge anyone to show me a study that says otherwise.

I have 35 years under my belt of doing every kinda dumb speech exercise and useless advice from well over 20 stuttering therapists. It only made my speech much worse. I have talked to many other stutterers around my age that have had the same experience.

16 years ago I swore off all kind of therapy. My speech is the best its ever been. I went from a moderatley severe stutterer to a mild stutterer. My secondary symptoms are all but gone.

Accept the fact you stutter. Attend stuttering support groups if you can.

Dont waste your time or energy with breathing or any other excercise that somone tells you will reduce your stutter. It wont and you will just feel worse than before u started that useless crap.

[surfdog]

I have the same problem as to almost all who stutter. There seems to be no cause and effect pattern that I've noticed. Somedays the throat feels really good and the voice starts with the lightest of pressure and then there are some days where it feels as if all the pressure or airflow in the world won't get those vocal cords vibrating. Strangest thing and it's hard to explain to someone who doesn't stutter. No doctor or therapist can really understand it without experiencing it.

[Thomkatt]

Good advice Howee. That is one of the most reasonable posts I have read on here.

[Pson]

Hello,
You can practice breathing in a way to controll vasalva mechanism.

Bad breathing is a result of stuttering, of course.
But in the same way it is the trigger and the luggage.

BR Pson

[godmir]

I agree with Howee.

I believe stuttering is somewhat personal and what works for others may not work for you. You have to find your own way of dealing with it, one that works for you - but it does help hearing about different coping techniques. That way you can experiment and see what works for you.

Know your stutter and fight it. Fight your battle with your mind and in your mind ;)