Overcoming Stuttering: Home Made Tips
Overcoming Stuttering: Home Made Tips by Earlwaine Cumberbatch
My stammering was so bad that it was difficult to get out even four words without hitting on something, i.e. my foot or anything close by. By this time I was so afraid to speak in class, less I was laughed at, that I never put my hand up to ask a question of the teacher.
Though stuttering maybe psychological in the initial instance, it becomes worst through learned habit, through fear, anxiety, and worry. To overcome this problem there must be a complete change of the mental processes as it relates to speech. There are certain images of failure that have been allowed to form in the mind, hence building negative energy. The mind must now be trained to believe that it can handle the job of speech. The overcoming process can be slow with periods of frustration. Along this process you can have a few steps forward and some backward. A determination to succeed is the greatest part of the over coming process.
Changing worry to trust: Another big problem that persons with stuttering problems have is worry and lack of trust in self to handle an interview, or fill a speaking appointment. I am not exaggerating here, my most fighting moments have been when I was called to attend an interview, or be required to fill a speaking appointment. From the moment I learned of the interview I went into worry mode. I would worry from that date until the interview, or speaking appointment was finished, and even for a few days after.
Persons who stutter will constantly replay the interview, or speaking appointment over and over in the mind. This will happen hundreds of times before the event. By the time the interview comes the person would be a nervous wreck and a professional worrier. So what would happen? another nightmare and a bad interview. Listed below is what I basically did that you can do as well.
You can win if you try: You must be determined to succeed:
Controlling worrying: You must practice the mind to stay in the present. Each time you find the mind wondering to the date of the interview you must bring it bring back. Bring the mind back to something you are presently involved in. You can also take the mind to some past pleasant event that made you laugh, or smile. This must be a consistent practice. In time the mind will be brought under your control and will not escape to the future.
Learn to relax and breathe deeply: To the person who stutters breathing can be either a friend or enemy. Breathing correctly is integral to the person’s ability to speak properly. From the instant the person realizes that he/she is required to speak in public the body and mind goes into stress mode, and breathing becomes shallow. A concerted effort must be made to relax the muscles and to breathe deeply and slowly. The relaxation and deep breathing allows the mind to think rationally thus avoiding panic.
Practice slow speech: Persons who stutter tend to speak quickly. This is intentional with the belief that – if one speaks quickly he/she will get the words out before stuttering starts. This plan often back fires, since the person is already anxious and scared. The everyday plan and practice should be to speak slowly. This should also be done just before the interview, or appointment.
A singer would tell you that breathing from the diaphragm is important for proper singing. Proper breathing is no less important to the person who stutters than it is to a singer. This practice will become a habit and will occur automatically when in stressful speaking situations.
Learn about yourself: Every person who stutters has certain letters that are difficult to pronounce. When he/she meets these letters so much effort is expended trying to pronounce these words which begin either of these letters that by the time the word is called all the breath is already expelled from the lungs thus making it much more difficult to pronounce the words that follow. Some of my difficult letters were "D" and "M". Trying to call the word "Daddy" or "Mummy"(words used when speaking to my father and mother) were so difficult for me that by the time I was finished all the air from my lungs were gone leaving me only to bang on my thigh to get enough pressure to say the words.
After realizing my problem words I then used a fill in, or leading word, which required little or no pressure, i.e. I would use the word "so" before the words "Daddy" or "Mummy" This word paved the way for the trouble word. This filling or leading word will automatically be dropped if the above mentioned strategies are used and better speech is achieved.
Building self esteem: Do not allow your mind, or any person to fool you into believing that you cannot speak, or that you are a lesser person than any other one. This is a slippery slope that the person can find him/herself on. This slop can lead to depression, an inferiority complex, doubt in one’s ability to achieve and the list continues.
Stuttering does not determine who you are. That was done by God. He made you in His image. He made your tongue. The world has plenty of successful persons who experienced stuttering and may even still be stuttering. See later some of these persons
• Knowledge is power: research topics on stuttering. Learn as much about the cause, remedies and techniques that can help etc
• Enroll in a public speaking class. This will help you learn how to breathe properly, how to pronounce certain words. This will help you feel good about yourself.
At the foot of the cross the ground is level: Avoid being intimidated by others. No one is more important than you are. The person who stutters tends to see others through the word STUTTER. We tend to say –"he/she does not stutter so he is more important", or "I wish I could speak like him/her". This attitude if allowed to continue will lower our self-esteem.
Learn to be deaf sometimes: Persons who stutter sometimes tend too much to listen to themselves speak. When a person speaks, because the desire is there to speak well, the temptation is there to listen to every word. Research has shown that if the ears are blocked during speaking the individual does not stutter as badly, or sometimes not at all.
My battle strategy worked for me. You may be able to develop other techniques of your own. Whatever you do, believe in God and your ability to overcome. There is a whole life ahead of you. So go for it. Life for me did become better. Mt tears were changed to joy.
Read more of my story, and how I overcame. Get tips that can help you, or your child overcome stuttering.
http://www.a-stutterers-story.com/