26-Year Old Stutterer

[jreames]

Hello everyone,

My name is Justin, I'm from Indiana, I'm 26 years old, and I've been stuttering probably since I was around 10. I had speech therapy all during elementary school, but I don't know that it really helped.

I guess I'd say I have mild to severe stutter. Sometimes I do just fine, and then other times I'm pretty horrible. I've managed to get by and be fairly successful despite my stutter. I graduated with my bachelor's in accounting, and I'll be graduating with my MBA this December. I work in corporate accounting at a bank.

I've read several other intros and can totally relate to a lot of them. Junior high and high school were super tough, and I basically turned into the "shy guy" because I wanted to avoid speaking as much as I could. It got a little better in college. One of the strategies I use (and I don't know if this is typical or just weird) is that when I have to give presentations and things like that I try to separate myself in my head into the Justin that can speak well and the normal Justin. Then I try and "act" like the Justin that can speak well, and it is fairly successful. So, I do a lot better in presentation-type situations than in casual conversations, which I just don't understand. You'd think it would be opposite.

Anyway, I guess that's a long enough intro, and I look forward to further posts and getting to know many of you.

Justin

[Box of Clocks]

Welcome aboard Justin.

[berrylicious]

Hi there,
Yeah I think I did the same thing where I would dissociate myself into a separate "fluent" persona. I started doing that sometime around high school...I think it started off as copying the speaking style of one of my well-spoken friends. Somehow it works and it's helped me remain (mostly) fluent on the phone and in presentations. But it is a trick and at the end of the day I feel like I wasnt being myself. And like you said, it doesnt work in conversations or situations where you need to think on your feet. My worst speaking situation is during meals...if there are people I dont know well, I become silent throughout the meal...really does not help with meeting people =\

[Talleifer]

I know just what you mean. I take on different persona's as well for handling things like at a job. I was a black jack dealer for over a year, and while I was dealing, I never stuttered in front of guests I was dealing to, separated myself from what is my normal speaking voice. Or when I'm mimicking a comedian like Dane Cook, by telling a joke of his that I have heard many times and memorized, I speak and act like him as I'm telling it, and it goes very well, however if I don't know the joke that well, and have only heard it once or twice, it goes very bad, even if I don't stutter, it's awkward to say the least.

But ya, what's frustrating is that it's not "me" talking, and I want it to be.