Information And Advice About Stammering
It is estimated that stammering, a speech impediment, affects around one percent of the UK population.
Approximately seven out of ten of those people who stammer are male of which I used to be one. Within this article
I will be writing about the ways in which stuttering impacted
on my life; I hope you enjoy the read.
The effects of stammering
The fact that I had a stammer had a huge impact on my childhood as
well as my early adult life. It was not until the age of twenty-two that I managed to eradicate the speech
impediment from my speech.
What many fluent people would refer to as "simple tasks" were far from easy for me. As an example I often found it
very difficult to order a drink at a bar or to order food in a restaurant without stammering. Asking directions,
speaking on the telephone and any form of public speaking were also not without there problems.
It was like I was living in a constant fear of talking - stammering was my worst enemy and it was like a cancer
within my brain. I was determined to overcome the problem as the thought of having a stammer for the rest of my
life was a thought that I refused to contemplate.
I really disliked the fact that I was different and the fact that I could not speak with the same ease as other
people did.
My overall confidence was badly affected as no doubt you could imagine and the future looked less than bright.
As a teenager I would often worry about what kind of future I might have. I was very much aware that my stammer
would impact on my career prospects as well as my relationships.
As strange as it may sound I could talk perfectly fluently when speaking to myself; this made it all the more
frustrating.
I am pleased to report that I finally overcame the stammering
fourteen years ago. I have enjoyed speaking fluently ever since!
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