Patient's question:
I heard from my parents that I had stuttering when I was a child. Since I can remember, I didn't even realize I had it.Recently, I suddenly noticed that I was stuttering. Sometimes when I speak, it feels like the first word is hard to get out.
The stuttering happens very rarely. Usually, it only occurs a few times a day.
I'm very scared.
The reason for the stuttering might be that there's someone in my office who stutters severely. I've been in contact with them for a long time. Now, I've been avoiding talking to them.
What else should I do?
Doctor's answer:
Hello!In your case, as long as you don’t focus too much on stuttering and eliminate the psychological burden, it will gradually improve, and you may even feel it no longer affects you. If you consciously avoid colleagues who stutter, it indicates that you haven’t reduced your attention to stuttering. This will only worsen your psychological burden and make the stuttering worse. Moreover, it affects interpersonal relationships, causing psychological harm to both others and yourself.
A famous European orator once had a stutter. At first, he practiced public speaking by holding pebbles in his mouth while facing a mirror. You might want to give it a try. However, make sure the pebbles aren’t too small, so you don’t swallow them.
Wishing you happiness!