How would you handle this???

[taty]

I’ve always been a covert stutterer but now that I’m in therapy I have to start being overt about it. Even though being covert causes a lot of stress, I’m still not ready to be more open about my stuttering. A few days ago during a group conversation with fellow students, suddenly the topic op stuttering came up. I really wanted to hear what they thought about stuttering. To my dismay they all talked about how funny it would be to argue with someone who stutters and started to fake a stutter. I didn’t say anything and changed the topic because I couldn’t take it anymore. This is the reaction I fear if I have to stutter overtly. How would you handle this situation? Would you say something during the conversation?

[Box of Clocks]

It would have been good for you to have made it known at that point that you had a stutter as it would have made them all feel quite shamed an uncomfortable I would imagine. Easier said than done though I know.

[Stuttering Chat]

I know how you feel, being open about it is incredibly difficult. I've been in the same type of situation in the past and didn't say anything and just let the conversation play itself out.....it is frustrating though :/

[JasL]

As an ex stutterer, i will give you some painful knowledge that you might not want to hear. You need to accept your stutter and you need to start telling people that you do suffer from it but you are overcoming it. Who cares what they think, one of the first steps is to stop being a victim of stuttering and decide to be in charge.

If you can laugh at yourself, all the better. I do it all the time; however i have a steely determination to improve my technique the next time i am in a similar situation. You know you are losing the fight when stuttering is controlling you, controlling your decisions or has such a hold on you that it determines how you feel

two immediate things happen when you share with people that you stutter :
a) You let go of the hold stuttering has over you. Remember stuttering is a physical manifestation of speech stress, which is a mental condition. liberate yourself!

b) You become real! remember people don't like the silver tongued salesmen

Ironically, sometimes having a slight stuttering moment makes you a better communicator and more liked. Because everyone in some shape or form harbours fears or has insecurities. for example, poor body image, getting old, going bald, struggling with weight, depression, fat ankles, etc etc etc .this list is enormous and can go on and on. Being a slight stutterer "emphasis on slight" you become real and people respond to that and form a more trusting relationship and tend to listen more intently to what you have to say. People like dealing with people who are not perfect. Look at people's obsession with celebrity gossip magazines and secretly enjoying celebrities' shortcomings and you will get my point. Ironic isn't it, here I am saying that not being 100% fluent is actually a good thing.

[keanreynolds]

Some people who stutter simply have a lack of proper speech control, but for others, this is a neurological condition and if you are unfortunate enough to fall into this 2nd camp then unfortunately you will likely stutter for the rest of your life, overt or covertly. I would know...I fall into this 2nd camp and since I was 12 I developed substitution techniques and hid this from my parents and friends all the way through middle school, high school, and even college. I'm 24 now and in graduate school and I just last week decided to become overt about it and tell my family about the struggles I have always experienced in speaking. They were shocked, but now that they know it helped them to understand much more about why I do things the way I do and they have a much better understanding of who I am.

If you're young and still in school it will be tough letting people know that you stutter, but honestly it's probably the best thing. The longer you hide your secret the harder it will be to eventually tell your friends and family, and telling them will help them support you so much more.