How do former stutterers achieve fluency?

[Tinkabell]

I was watching the interview with Tiger Woods on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EBUcDpx1W4

He managed to work hard and stop stuttering. I was wondering, there must be former stutterers all around the world that have achieved fluency either with some kind of programs, therapies, books, devices etc.

It would be nice to hear their story and what they did to reach their goals. Maybe we can all learn or gain fluency from their advice.

:)

[Tinkabell]

This is a very good video that I found on google video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3145208862063452157&q=stuttering&total=2097&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

When I watch this video, I see myself go through what they all go through.

The title is called Transcending Stuttering and it's lasts approx 28 minutes.

:)

[Hans]

I was watching the interview with Tiger Woods on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EBUcDpx1W4

He managed to work hard and stop stuttering. I was wondering, there must be former stutterers all around the world that have achieved fluency either with some kind of programs, therapies, books, devices etc.

It would be nice to hear their story and what they did to reach their goals. Maybe we can all learn or gain fluency from their advice.

:)

Tinkabell
Take it from a past stutterer who was dead keen to pass on his experiences and "help" others: Few believe what they don't understand; even fewer want to do the hard yards leading to fluency.

[bwelling]

Are there stutterers who don't want to stop stuttering?

[Hans]

Are there stutterers who don't want to stop stuttering?

I honestly don't know. I suspect it's more a case of not allowing the possibility to achieve a life without stuttering.
I needed to believe before i could do it.
I don't allow the possibility of a God because i see no proof for his existence. I suspect i wouldn't want to see such proof if it exists. My mind is closed.

That's how most stutterers regard a cure, i believe. I know i had this closed mind while stuttering.
Therefore i would never try to convince a PWS that he/she could just stop. Instead, i would say: love your stutter, become completely comfortable with it, flaunt it. "Look, this is me; I stutter and don't care". Stutter on purpose!

Stuttering grows on fear and shame. Remove these, and it starves and withers into fluency without trying.

[Adrian]

I was watching the interview with Tiger Woods on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EBUcDpx1W4

He managed to work hard and stop stuttering. I was wondering, there must be former stutterers all around the world that have achieved fluency either with some kind of programs, therapies, books, devices etc.

It would be nice to hear their story and what they did to reach their goals. Maybe we can all learn or gain fluency from their advice.

:)

Most of the former stutterers we hear about overcame the problem as young children. Unfortunately this is really not relevant to those of us who stutter into adulthood. Children have very malleable brains that can be changed. Children can easily learn languages and can learn to speak without an accent, while this is basically impossible for adults. It is not unusual for a child to go through a short period of stuttering and overcome it. It is very unusual for an adult to completely overcome the problem. I personally believe a moderate to severe adult stutterer will stutter to some degree for the rest of their lives. I am not saying we cannot improve and become good communicators, but we will most likely never be completely fluent.

[Adrian]

This is a very good video that I found on google video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3145208862063452157&q=stuttering&total=2097&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

When I watch this video, I see myself go through what they all go through.

The title is called Transcending Stuttering and it's lasts approx 28 minutes.

:)

I would also recommend this film. I saw it a couple of years ago with Dr. Scheider at the NSA convention and really enjoyed it.

[JDRow]

Are there stutterers who don't want to stop stuttering?

This is probably not going to come out the way I mean it, but I'm not particularly focused on stopping stuttering right now. It would be cool if it happened, but it's something I'm trying not to focus on much. I do want to improve my speech, but I'm starting to feel like even if I always stutter, that will be okay. That's something I've realized since I've been back in speech therapy, oddly enough. I guess because I always felt like there was something wrong with me for stuttering and that I should just stop doing it, it's nice to just try to be okay with it.

[happy7117]

This is a very good video that I found on google video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3145208862063452157&q=stuttering&total=2097&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

When I watch this video, I see myself go through what they all go through.

The title is called Transcending Stuttering and it's lasts approx 28 minutes.

:)

I bought the DVD of Transcending Stuttering some time last year. I still have it in my DVD tower with many of my DVD movies.

Transcending Stuttering absolutley fantastic and a very informative look at stuttering. It tells the story of 7 people's troubles living with stuttering, and how they overcome their "stuttering demons".

I wish Transcending Stuttering came on Google BEFORE I bought it on DVD because it was not on Google before I bought it.

I did not know if or when Transcending Stuttering would be on Google to watch, so naturaly I bought it to watch.

Had I known this Transcending Stuttering would be on Google to watch before I bought it when I did, I could have saved all that money.

Oh well. Still a great movie/ documentary!

[happy7117]

Are there stutterers who don't want to stop stuttering?

I definately am a stutterer, and a nasty one at that who wants to stop stuttering. I have gone through speech therapy, but it had minimal success.

I haven't lost hope that one day, a treatment that works best for me can and will be found.

In the mean time, my eyes are open!

[happy7117]

Ilove your stutter, become completely comfortable with it, flaunt it. "Look, this is me; I stutter and don't care". Stutter on purpose!

I completely hate it, loath it. I am definately NOT comfortable with it, as I'm sure no one else who hears me stutter is. Sure people like my parents are used to hearing me stutter for so many years, but I am sure it makes them uncomfortable.

In fact, I bet my folks are so used to being uncomfortable hearing me stutter, that they are comfortable feeling uncomfortable.

It must have to be a very pain in the butt, impatient task having put up with something one truly does not like.

I definately do not want to flaunt or show off the stuttering. I already stutter enough, so showing it off is not neccesary!

Stuttering on purpose?? I don't think people can tolerate when we stutter as we already do.

Voluntarily wanting to stutter would make people mad. Why add to a problem when we are trying to lessen it??

Do I love my stutter?? Hell no! Being misunderstood is something to hate!




stuttering grows on fear and shame

I am not sure if that would apply to me. It might apply to certain stutterers. Sure, I may feel fearfull, or shamefull, but I don't think that worsens my stuttering.

[Hans]

Happy, if what you do doesn't give you the result you want, stop and try something else!

As an aside: Fear and shame are major motivators in everyones' life. Are you that different?

[happy7117]

Happy, if what you do doesn't give you the result you want, stop and try something else!?

I agree with you on that that I should shift gears and try something else if something that I try does not work for me.

I think there is always more than one solution to a problem. One just has to search for it. I am forever searching.

There is one hitch with wanting to try something different to help ease my stuttering::

Money. Without enough money to try something different, I realy can't do it.

I don't have the money to try something else because, whatever I want to try costs money.

So anything that costs money I cannot afford.

These devices are too much money.

Makes me mad, that I want to help my own speech, but cannot because of lack of cash.

[Hans]

I agree with you on that that I should shift gears and try something else if something that I try does not work for me.

I think there is always more than one solution to a problem. One just has to search for it. I am forever searching.

There is one hitch with wanting to try something different to help ease my stuttering::

Money. Without enough money to try something different, I realy can't do it.

I don't have the money to try something else because, whatever I want to try costs money.

So anything that costs money I cannot afford.

These devices are too much money.

Makes me mad, that I want to help my own speech, but cannot because of lack of cash.

My dear friend,
this isn't about buying an easy fix. This is about DIY.:)

[bwelling]

MONEY? wow. When I see $$$$ - I see sales pitch.
When I know it a sales pitch - it has lost all value.
When it has lost value - it has no worth no matter how many $$$$$$ or how little $.

Maybe that's why there are so many "cures" for stutttering - it's all about someone making money.

[happy7117]

My dear friend,
this isn't about buying an easy fix. This is about DIY.:)

I'm sorry, but what does DIY mean?? I never heard of that abbreviation before!

[happy7117]

MONEY? wow. When I see $$$$ - I see sales pitch.
When I know it a sales pitch - it has lost all value.
When it has lost value - it has no worth no matter how many $$$$$$ or how little $.

Maybe that's why there are so many "cures" for stutttering - it's all about someone making money.

I am sick of those that advertise on the net saying that they can cure our stuttering, or offering a cure for our stuttering.

Usualy what they offer to help us does indeed cost alot of money.

We realy don't know if what they offer will help us or not.

The only way to find out if something helps or works for us is to try it.

Usualy trying something costs money.

Unfortanetly we are unable to tell before what we buy if it will help us or not.

I do feel cheated as well when something as promised does not work for me, and that seller already has our money.

I feel like hunting down a seller who sells us a gimik that did not work, and demanding a refund.

I may start a thread on gimmicks to help us.!

[Hans]

I'm sorry, but what does DIY mean?? I never heard of that abbreviation before!

DO IT YOURSELF!:)

[Sarah]

[QUOTE=Adrian;16301] Children have very malleable brains that can be changed. QUOTE]

Plasticity, that's the thing...(speaks she as someone who's just finished a year of Biological Psychology at university!). Yep, that quality is seen as being something unique to children but adults do still retain it to a degree. Stuff like Neuropatterning (which I'm working with currently) does have its roots in the change potential of developing new neural pathways but just because it's harder to learn a new skill - or change the default for others - for adults, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Completely, total, 100% recovery may be unlikely, but we can certainly make neurological inroads into our brains that DO pay dividends. We're not finitely fixed beings....we just run on shitty programmes, sometimes

[Jim22]

Sarah is exactly right!

The best explanation of neuroplasticity I've found is on pages 126-130 of Susan Begley's 'Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain' book. The whole book is worth reading.

Having become a fluent speaker myself, using a DIY program of my own I developed some years ago, I can assure you what Sarah calls a '100% recovery' is not only possible, it is doable.

Jim

[Adrian]

Plasticity, that's the thing...(speaks she as someone who's just finished a year of Biological Psychology at university!). Yep, that quality is seen as being something unique to children but adults do still retain it to a degree. Stuff like Neuropatterning (which I'm working with currently) does have its roots in the change potential of developing new neural pathways but just because it's harder to learn a new skill - or change the default for others - for adults, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Completely, total, 100% recovery may be unlikely, but we can certainly make neurological inroads into our brains that DO pay dividends. We're not finitely fixed beings....we just run on shitty programmes, sometimes

Agreed, adults still have some brain plasticity, but ours is not the same as a child's. I agree that chances are an adult with a moderate to severe stutter will never completely become 100% fluent, but, yes, they can certainly improve. Anyway, I believe shooting for 100% recovery is like shooting yourself in the foot. The more you try to be fluent, the harder it becomes. Accepting that you will stutter to some degree is the best way to improved fluency in my opinion and experience.

[Bud]

My uncles and cousins who stuttered got the book "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" from The Stuttering Foundation of America. One uncle was able to afford to also go to a speech therapist. The others either couldn't afford it or there wasn't one available near where they lived.

Uncle Charles became the most fluent; he was the one who went to speech therapy and also worked through the book. Uncle Ken improved the least, but he didn't go far in school, wasn't one to work at anything, and didn't really try. Uncle John did well but not until he started going through the book the second time. The others told him that he couldn't improve by just reading the book; he had to do what it said and practice constantly.

None of them were completely free of their stuttering. Even Uncle Charles had days that it reappeared. Family members that thought he had been "cured of his stuttering" found out differently when they attended a funeral for his wife. Stress must have gotten to him.

I have heard that when a stutterer gets an "I don't care if I stutter" attitude, they don't stutter as much. Uncle Roy once said "I can't make people like me. I can't make people like my stuttering. But stuttering is a part of me so any friends I make will have to take it along with me." He had many friends at his funeral so they accepted his stuttering as part of him.

I don't know if "Self Therapy for the Stutterer" will help every stutterer, but it is worth a try, and it isn't a big expense. It is on the web in part. The Foundation has a list of public libraries that have it. My public library has it.

Bud