Iced Tea
06-03-2005, 06:18 AM
Iced Tea is my screen name for all of the forums I'm active in (this one and several hockey forums).
I'm nearly 36 and have stuttered since I was 6 or 7 (in grade 2 when I was diagnosed).
I've tried speech therapy several times while in school and once when I was in my early 20's.
The latest thing I've done is buy a fluency device. It seems to be helping but I can't wear it except during my off hours. Work involves too much dust and noise and the device is too valuable to wreck.
The stuttering has led to low self confidence, lack of self esteem, and a lot of self hatred. Depression started occuring several years ago and I'm currently on anti depressants. Whether all of it is the result of the stuttering; I don't know.
For many years, I've been a loner because it was easier but with the depression and resulting therapy, I'm pushing myself to develop a social life.
The tough thing is even though I've been told that I'm a great guy and a great friend, it's tough for people to see past that first impression of the stutterer.
Glad to have found this forum.
Edit: I only know one other stutterer, a classmate in elementary school.
Dating hasn't happened in years because of a bad experience with the last girlfriend. It didn't help that her mom didn't want us to get serious because she though stuttering was hereditary. But it was a good thing we didn't stay together, the girlfriend turned out to be nuts. She married a guy I didn't like in high school so all is good in that aspect.
My parents are both supportive now but when I was young my dad thought that by yelling, "TALK CLEARLY", I would stop stuttering. Even a moron would know that the opposite would occur. I'm still talking about it in therapy.
Oh, and I really like iced tea, especially Lipton Brisk Iced Tea. :D
I'm nearly 36 and have stuttered since I was 6 or 7 (in grade 2 when I was diagnosed).
I've tried speech therapy several times while in school and once when I was in my early 20's.
The latest thing I've done is buy a fluency device. It seems to be helping but I can't wear it except during my off hours. Work involves too much dust and noise and the device is too valuable to wreck.
The stuttering has led to low self confidence, lack of self esteem, and a lot of self hatred. Depression started occuring several years ago and I'm currently on anti depressants. Whether all of it is the result of the stuttering; I don't know.
For many years, I've been a loner because it was easier but with the depression and resulting therapy, I'm pushing myself to develop a social life.
The tough thing is even though I've been told that I'm a great guy and a great friend, it's tough for people to see past that first impression of the stutterer.
Glad to have found this forum.
Edit: I only know one other stutterer, a classmate in elementary school.
Dating hasn't happened in years because of a bad experience with the last girlfriend. It didn't help that her mom didn't want us to get serious because she though stuttering was hereditary. But it was a good thing we didn't stay together, the girlfriend turned out to be nuts. She married a guy I didn't like in high school so all is good in that aspect.
My parents are both supportive now but when I was young my dad thought that by yelling, "TALK CLEARLY", I would stop stuttering. Even a moron would know that the opposite would occur. I'm still talking about it in therapy.
Oh, and I really like iced tea, especially Lipton Brisk Iced Tea. :D