Hardbound thoughts about speach therapies.

[philostam]

Speach therapies in long-term thickens stuttering. It works for a while because we experience control over our speaking and it relaxes us. But this type of control is the very same mistake that causes stuttering, our wanting to control our speak.

I wag my head with sadness when I see the videos of that famous program which I won't name because it would be rude. Those poor people are fanaticized, and even if their "control" remains for the end of their lives, they are drug addicts for whom the unwise, profane doctors prescribe another type of drug from the same stem, which of course give them the effect they've starved, but don't cure them and in long terms make them much more sick. They are made stutterer-soldiers, who will eventually fall apart disastrously when their energy drains. As a philosopher I often deal with attitudes like pride, hope, bravery etc. You would be strongly surprised if you knew the real core of them.

You can see the pure horror (the horror that just we can recognize) at times in Gareth Gates's eyes even in his most adequate interviews, if you watch unbiasedly. His castle in the air could fall apart at any time. Saying that "it isn't a cure" is just a temporary help.

I had deceived myself with techniques for such a long time, and been pinched with hunger, that I decided to turn over this issue without expedience; and I've found that therapy can not work against stuttering. It's the little devil again in an angel's vesture.

Pagoclone is not a cure either, but it really works against stuttering. If you believe in Pagoclone, than you logically can't believe in therapies, because the essence of therapy is to satisfy our brain with controlled speaking, and no matter that it abolishes dopamine (like ) for a while, in the end it hightens dopamine (like the more you have, the stronger need you are developing). It's like switching to another partner to get out of the habit of making love. Or like getting the Kama Sutra to heal premature . (Sorry for using ual methapors all the time, but they are strongly similar to stuttering issues because of dopamine.)

[Sliderman3000]

I liked reading your posting. I agree with some of your points and disagree with some of what you had to say.

First, "stuttering" is best defined as all those those things that inhibit our speech. So then the eventual goal is freedom of speech, without anything holding us back.

I traded one encumbrance for another. I traded stuttering for speech techniques. Speech techniques weigh us down, encumber and add-on burdens that also inhibit our speech. Therefore, it is important to understand that speech techniques are only a means to an end. Speech techniques help us gain back control and fluency but please don't make me use them forever!

Stuttering (and all the forms of inhibition) is a death spiral. When fear wins, it reinforces the belief that you can't speak normally. Speech techniques torture our speech production as well, however, they provide a constructive path. A path that reinforces the belief that we do have control. Instead of the victim, I am the attacker. And it is a battle.

I view my life as a battlefield of speaking situations. I have fought and conquered some areas. For example, I now own answering the phone, "hello". In the past, I viewed each speaking situation as a trial to be endured and escaped from. Now, I see each speaking situation as a battle that's connected to my long term success. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose but overall I am winning the war. It has been a bloody battle. I have thrown myself into difficult speaking situations relentlessly.

Over the years, I have gained confidence and fluency together. I now only use my speech techniques rarely. Its nice to know they are there if I need them. Lately, I have been focusing on speaking spontaneously and without any inhibition (or speech techniques). I have more disfluency this way but its no big deal. I have a new goal: As I think, I speak.

Seeds of fear and doubt would love to creep back in. I have to be careful with the choices I make every day. I could substitute a word or avoid a situation. Sometimes I do. However, more times than not, I don't let fear make my choices for me.

In summary, speech therapies (if they are good ones) and courage can lead to long term success.

[howeee]

You are so right about therapy, it doesnt work and for most people that have had many therapies for many years its a total disaster.

What I dont get is why stutterers want to push this crap that we know doesnt work. If it worked there would be studies proving that they work,,and there would be few people on this list cause there would be no people who stutter anymore lol.

Therapy took me from a mild stutterer to a moderatley severe stutterer, with a damaged self esteem. The first thing they tell in every and all therapies is, "its all up to you". They never tell you that they have very little success in longterm fluency. So then when the inevitable happens and you fail, you blame yourself. After years of this you feel like a big peice of crap. Not too mention are you are doing crazzy things you didnt do at first. Like blinking, slapping your leg, throwing your head up and down and who knows what else.

Stutterers even exagerate the success of therapies, I dont get it. I read on this list that a 3 year old was taught the airflow system and was cured of stuttering, the entire concept is rediculous. First that three year old could master this useless technique. Second, 3 to 5% of all children under 5 have a stuttering episode and more than 99% of these go on to be fluent speakers if left to do so. So how in the world can one be sure even if the 3 year old mastered Air Flow, that he wouldnt of become fluent on his own and didnt become fluent on his own.

I swore off all therapy, accepted myself as person who stutters. I am now back to a mild stutterer with almost no secondary symptoms. I have heard stories like mine, many times.

[joepws]

I do like your posts. Although I haven't had my stutter long. So I don't think I can say much, yet. I just hate the idea of taking medication daily. I'm just starting speech therapy, so I don't exactly know what to expect yet...but I can't see myself ever choosing to depend on a pill for anything, unless it was life threatening.

[amey]

Originally Posted by philostam

Speach therapies in long-term thickens stuttering. It works for a while because we experience control over our speaking and it relaxes us. But this type of control is the very same mistake that causes stuttering, our wanting to control our speak.

I wag my head with sadness when I see the videos of that famous program which I won't name because it would be rude. Those poor people are fanaticized, and even if their "control" remains for the end of their lives, they are drug addicts for whom the unwise, profane doctors prescribe another type of drug from the same stem, which of course give them the effect they've starved, but don't cure them and in long terms make them much more sick. They are made stutterer-soldiers, who will eventually fall apart disastrously when their energy drains. As a philosopher I often deal with attitudes like pride, hope, bravery etc. You would be strongly surprised if you knew the real core of them.

You can see the pure horror (the horror that just we can recognize) at times in Gareth Gates's eyes even in his most adequate interviews, if you watch unbiasedly. His castle in the air could fall apart at any time. Saying that "it isn't a cure" is just a temporary help.

I had deceived myself with techniques for such a long time, and been pinched with hunger, that I decided to turn over this issue without expedience; and I've found that therapy can not work against stuttering. It's the little devil again in an angel's vesture.

Pagoclone is not a cure either, but it really works against stuttering. If you believe in Pagoclone, than you logically can't believe in therapies, because the essence of therapy is to satisfy our brain with controlled speaking, and no matter that it abolishes dopamine (like ) for a while, in the end it hightens dopamine (like the more you have, the stronger need you are developing). It's like switching to another partner to get out of the habit of making love. Or like getting the Kama Sutra to heal premature . (Sorry for using ual methapors all the time, but they are strongly similar to stuttering issues because of dopamine.)

I am overcome with the question, "what is your point?"--- So, yes, speech technniques are not going to cure a person, but when used with the idea of them being Stuttering MANAGEMENT techniques, they do work. -- Do they always work, no. they do give us options when stuck in a difficult speaking situation.----Are you advocating trying NOTHING? ---what is your point??--

the whole idea of Philosophically analyzing the states of hope, pride, bravery, etc. is better left for a thesis. Understanding this means NOTHING in the REAL world. We are talking about the human condition in ACTION. ---there is hope and bravery. I see it everyday.--what is the alternative???

[amey]

Originally Posted by howeee

You are so right about therapy, it doesnt work and for most people that have had many therapies for many years its a total disaster.

What I dont get is why stutterers want to push this crap that we know doesnt work. If it worked there would be studies proving that they work,,and there would be few people on this list cause there would be no people who stutter anymore lol.

Therapy took me from a mild stutterer to a moderatley severe stutterer, with a damaged self esteem. The first thing they tell in every and all therapies is, "its all up to you". They never tell you that they have very little success in longterm fluency. So then when the inevitable happens and you fail, you blame yourself. After years of this you feel like a big peice of crap. Not too mention are you are doing crazzy things you didnt do at first. Like blinking, slapping your leg, throwing your head up and down and who knows what else.

Stutterers even exagerate the success of therapies, I dont get it. I read on this list that a 3 year old was taught the airflow system and was cured of stuttering, the entire concept is rediculous. First that three year old could master this useless technique. Second, 3 to 5% of all children under 5 have a stuttering episode and more than 99% of these go on to be fluent speakers if left to do so. So how in the world can one be sure even if the 3 year old mastered Air Flow, that he wouldnt of become fluent on his own and didnt become fluent on his own.

I swore off all therapy, accepted myself as person who stutters. I am now back to a mild stutterer with almost no secondary symptoms. I have heard stories like mine, many times.

Fortunately, stuttering therapies are evolving as stuttering is better understood. I, like you, have had therapies that did not work becuase the goal was to make a person FLUENT. There is a bit pf a paradigm shift happening and The best therapies are ones that focus on ACCEPTING ones stuttering and then learning techiniques to help MANAGE it. ---

Your digust and disbelief that a stutter can manage their stuttering with techniques is substantial. I can assure you that I, along with many others, are doing it daily. You seem to confuse MANAGEMENT and CURE. The goal is to NOT present oneself as a fluent speaker. You are right, these techniques do NOT erase stuttering. But if given the choice of stuttering 10 second through a word, or just 2 seconds using a technique??? -- The idea is to keep speech moving forward, that is all.

We need to take into consideration the severe stutterer. Stuttering on every word or second word. These techniques work. I am living proof. I live as an OVERT stutterer who uses techniques that sometimes work and sometimes dont. --I agree with you that accepting ones stuttering is the key. But I also know that techniques, when coupled with this accepatance, work.--I feel like you have been in contact with some really archaic , thinking speech programs. You yourself said that you have been stuttering/accepting for the last 15 years or so with no therapy.--therapies have and are changing.

If you want to believe it or not, there are great success stories. I push this idea because I know there are people on here who have no hope, and young people who need direction.- - -Accepting your stuttering is step one and learning to modify your stuttering then can be done. If you go into it with no talk of fluency or cure, It WORKS!!