Saying Your Name!

[Uprightouch]

I'm guessing we ALL have this problem right! What a bummer though eh? Why does this have to be the killer question? Wouldn't it be great if the hardest thing to say was you inside leg measurement? That NEVER comes up in conversation!

The thing i've realised though, and what i'm sure you all know, is that there's no getting out of it. There's no tricks, or hesitation games you can play to sneak out of saying it. If someone asks you a vague question like 'Do you know where the bank is?', you can 'um' and 'err' for a bit whilst you search for those EASY words. But when faced with the oh-so-simple, but oh-so-scary question of 'Can I have your name please?', you HAVE to go straight for it, whether you like it or not. You can't really sit there and go 'Hmm, my name?... Now let me think..?'

My name is James, and I curse the J as a letter sometimes. I guess I should learn to love it, and maybe things would get easier...

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Hope ur all good!

[MchlVck310]

I remember one time when I had to introduce myself in front of my Boy Scout troop when I was in 5th grade. I've quit since then because of school/sports/girls/other things, but this will always be with me. We had to say our name, age, and school. The kids before me were fine "My name is Andrew, I'm 11, and I go to McCarter", "My name is Charlie, I'm 11, and I go to McCarter, but then it came to me. I said "My name is............." I stuttered so long. I leaned to the kid next to me and said "What's my name?" to make it seem like I was incredibly dumb, in hopes he would say "Wes" so I could say it with him. Well, eventually I just ended up going "My name is WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWes, I'm 11, and I go to McCarter," and basically yelling the W noise.

[bignick]

Hi James and Wes,

We've all been in situations like you describe and its damn fustrating but I bet we wouldnt stutter if a good looking girl came to us and asked us to take her for a drink or on a hot date, it would be YES without hesitation. Never happened to me I must say.
Do you think its in the back of your mind, 'I hope they dont ask my name' and thats when we panic where maybe if we didnt think about it we would be OK.

[Standingtall]

That is the key. I use to be terrified when I had to say my name and when that time came, well you know the rest of the story. Today, I don't even think about it and I can say my name, without dancing to entertain my guest, while I get the word out. I may stutter in saying Hi, but not my name. When I am checking into an hotel, I use the James Bond approach and say my last name and then say my full name. Bond, James Bond. It helps a great deal and beside they always check you in with your last name. At work I repeat my name so many times, when i'm answering the phone, I guess it helps me not to think about stuttering on my name.

[lupes]

i don't really get stuck cos i change how i say my name.

If i cant say Harry i'll just say 'Arry or some words before like 'my names harry'

or s'harry, which sounds like 'its harry'

so i kind of cheat round it, but yeh i have had major blocks on trying to say the word H where i sound like i just ate something really spicy H-H-H-H-H lol.

[BenLZ]

I'm guessing we ALL have this problem right! What a bummer though eh? Why does this have to be the killer question? Wouldn't it be great if the hardest thing to say was you inside leg measurement? That NEVER comes up in conversation!

The thing i've realised though, and what i'm sure you all know, is that there's no getting out of it. There's no tricks, or hesitation games you can play to sneak out of saying it. If someone asks you a vague question like 'Do you know where the bank is?', you can 'um' and 'err' for a bit whilst you search for those EASY words. But when faced with the oh-so-simple, but oh-so-scary question of 'Can I have your name please?', you HAVE to go straight for it, whether you like it or not. You can't really sit there and go 'Hmm, my name?... Now let me think..?'

My name is James, and I curse the J as a letter sometimes. I guess I should learn to love it, and maybe things would get easier...

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Hope ur all good!

I would love a J name. I've blocked on B for over two minutes.

[bignick]

BenLZ,

I knew a lad in school who had a stutter and he was called Duncan, but he changed his name to Phil, dont know if it was because he couldnt say Duncan or he hated that name.

I am afraid that unless you want to take drastic action and change your name there is not a lot you can do.
I bet you a lot of people would like names they could say, but you might change your name and then struggle on your new name and you cant keep on changing your name.
have you got a nickname you could say first and then say your real name.

[Standingtall]

For those of you, who have parents that stutter, do you think they gave you a name that they won't stutter on. The rest of us, our parents didn't know they were going to have an child that stutters. My name is Eugene, but the E is silent and I had one heck of a time saying Uuuuuuuuu. Do you guys find that if someone says your name first, then you don't have a problem. I had some people say, Okay Eugene your next and I didn't have any problem saying my name after that. I have done, cleared the throat and say yeah, and my name. I always needed an starter word to get going. I couldn't just come out and say my name.

Now, today I don't have an problem, maybe the 5 or 6 times, I will have an block on my name. I guess as I get older I have better control and that is giving me confidence. I repeat my name about a dozen times each day at work, when I answer or call someone on the phone and maybe that is helping too.

[bignick]

Its a good point, my dad stutters and I think that Nicholas is quite a difficult name, I dont think it crossed my parents minds when they picked my name.
People who I used to work with and where I work now have helped me by getting me involved with meetings and asking my opinion which gives me confidence to speak up and if I stutter, so what.
Its not the way you say things, its what you say that matters.
Hope you all have a good easter break.

Nick

[aKoChiC86]

I guess you are also familiar with stuttering on other peoples names as well? Well, I am...

I stuttered my name today, Andreas.
I wwnt:

Whats your name?
An-an-an..
Your name, what is it?
It's An...dreas.

Sounded freakish but I pushed it on 2nd attempt.

To the headline, I also stutter on firends name.
Like when I call themn and their parents answer, i say: is ni-ni-ni-nicholas there?

He is by the way my closest friend!

Because of EXPERIENCE with stuttering on this event, I build up tension when calling the nesxt time as well. Because I know what COULD happen, and HAD happened. Its hard to let go.

[Standingtall]

Another good point, I too have problem saying a name. Introducing someone to another, somedays I have problem saying both names. Calling friends too, but I worked around that. When I call my friend and when her mother answers. I quickly tell her my name and ask how she is doing and after an brief conversation, I ask, 'Is your oldest daughter home'. On business calls, if another person answers other than the one I'm calling, I say, 'hi, how are you doing' and they usually say fine, and then I say 'I'm looking for Bruce, is he around'. I find it really helps with the anxiety. Getting an conversation going helps with my anxiety and helps me get going and I don't usually have a problem saying an name after that. Trying to convince the other person on the phone, that I am a nice guy and hopefully they will be understanding when I do have an block.

[daffyavfc]

I'm fortunate enough to not stutter on my name, but i do on my address which after the number begins with a D. I sometimes tell people on the phone that i'll spell it for them as its easier!!!!!!!! but obviously when your in public you just have to get on with it.
I struggle on S words, remember asking for my fiancee on the phone who's name is shevon when she was at work and stuttered and the student who answered the phone turned round to her and said "there's someone on the phone who cant remember your name". I was livid, i wanted to go round there and have a word with her, (if i could get one out that is!! :D ).

what letters do people struggle on. Wonder if any research has been done to see if there are any words/letters that people have more problems with than others.

[daffyavfc]

I'm fortunate enough to not stutter on my name, but i do on my address which after the number begins with a D. I sometimes tell people on the phone that i'll spell it for them as its easier!!!!!!!! but obviously when your in public you just have to get on with it.
I struggle on S words, remember asking for my fiancee on the phone who's name is shevon when she was at work and stuttered and the student who answered the phone turned round to her and said "there's someone on the phone who cant remember your name". I was livid, i wanted to go round there and have a word with her, (if i could get one out that is!! :D ).

what letters do people struggle on. Wonder if any research has been done to see if there are any words/letters that people have more problems with than others.

[bignick]

Its quite funny Daffyavfc, I also spell my address as it starts with a w and I cant pronounce it properly, so its easier to spell it out, I can tell you the variations of my address when I didnt spell it out have been very funny.
I had really bad problems with my wifes maiden name and would stutter for ages on it, thankfully no more.
With me its all in my head and I start thinking to myself that I am going to stutter on a word and behold I do, like balloon. am OK with other words beginning with B but not the balloon word so I try and pick books for my son when I read to him at night that dont contain balloons as it would be a very, very long story otherwise.

[Dman]

this used to be my greatest fear, it's funny, I don't usually stutter over my name anymore, once in awhile it kicks in and people think I've forgotten my own name, lol

[tomtankman]

I stutter mostly on words that start with the s sound. Severe, centre shower etc. Unfortunetly my surname starts with S but speech theorapy has helped me say it. I have a lot of trouble with my address though, it also starts with an S.