STAMMERING
by Christine Hargan, BSc (Hons) Psychology, based in Spain
www.psychologicalsolutionsforme.com 


Stuttering or stammering is a remarkable disorder. It’s easy to treat and has been claimed to be impossible to cure. So what causes it? Brain scans have found that adult stutterers appear to have abnormal under activity in their central auditory processing area. What's wrong with adult stutterers' auditory processing is unknown, but one theory is that it is simply caused by fear. What stutterers have in common is frustration, fear and anxiety. In the words of one stutterer below. (courtesy of www.psychforums.com)

"Stuttering is absolute sheer frustration. You know exactly what you want to say, you know how to say it, you can picture every movement of every syllable in your mouth about how to say it.......but, you can’t say it. You get stuck, have a block, or repeat a sound. and when you try to force out that sound it just makes it worse, muscles clench and your face contorts from the sheer physical effort of trying to speak. You are also physically conscious of how you look and how you sound. You have to deal with people putting the wrong words in your mouth, or misunderstanding you, or too impatient to wait long enough for you to speak…. That’s what it’s like all day every day."

You can’t overcome stuttering until you admit that you stutter. That one simple act can help you improve your fluency, because you are no longer fighting it. Severe stutterers are often the least willing to do anything about it, usually due to fear. However, and here’s the good news Stuttering is one of few disabilities that get better over time. Most children outgrow it. Even adults who stutter severely in their 20s usually learn to manage it in their 30s. One probable reason for this is the natural confidence that comes with maturity.

Many former stutterers have had quite high flying careers – so you’re in good company, anyone remember Winston Churchill – he got around his problem by researching political issues weeks in advance and finding responses to any possible objection, or Kim Philby, a spy who claimed that stuttering once saved his life, because it confounded a fast paced interrogator. Men are not the only ones to suffer Marilyn Monroe, who’s famous pout and heavy breathing was a way of slowing down speech, thus dealing with the condition, and Carly Simon got round her issue by singing.

Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Lingistic-Programming (NLP) are excellent for treating all nervous disorders, because they rapidly and effectively deal with both cause and effect of issues.
 

Christine Hargan, BSc (Hons) Psychology; Specialises in and treats the causes and effects of emotional disorders, confidence and addiction based issues with hypnotherapy, NLP and psychotherapy.