Five steps towards recovery from stammering that really work
No one really knows why some people stammer. Having stammered for most of my life I have found the following five steps really helpful for my own speech and for others in the one to one sessions and workshops I teach.
Step One – Breath before you speak. Yes, really! Stammerers are notorious for not taking a breath before they speak. If we don’t breath first we get into trouble. Our speech mechanism becomes rigid, our throat clams shut and we stammer. Practice the following ten times before moving on to step two: follow the breath - belly out when we breath in, belly in when we breath out. Faster on the in breath - a longer on the out breath.
Step Two – Speak deeper and down. Lower the tone of your voice and imagine the words coming from way down out of your chest then down towards the floor. This may sound a little strange but there’s a good reason for it. When we project our voice down it’s away from the throat area the place where our words may get stuck leading to a block. Speaking deeper really helps.
Step Three – Don’t keep going backwards over words when you talk and remember to pause. This is a negative habit. Leave the word alone and move ahead. Use the deep tone and breathing as well as you can and go forward. When you speak pause on purpose sometimes this can be scary at first but with practice it gets easier. By pausing a little longer than usual you give yourself the time you need to breath in deeply and ready yourself for what you want to say next. You can practice longer pauses when you are alone. There is power in being able to pause well, it breeds confidence.
Step Four – Go out into the street and practice the above. Be prepared for whatever happens its all experience. Go into shops and ask for something – make it fun. Don’t beat yourself up if it goes wrong. Just remember you are improving your speech – it takes time, who knows you may even surprise yourself!
Step Five – Get support from family and friends and just as importantly – a therapist. A good therapist will set goals and be able to offer guidance when things go wrong. Many stammerers have beaten themselves up emotionally for many years and recovery from stammering can bring out pent up emotions, that's why a good therapist and certainly not necessarily a speech therapist, can help you deal with these emotions.
Step One – Breath before you speak. Yes, really! Stammerers are notorious for not taking a breath before they speak. If we don’t breath first we get into trouble. Our speech mechanism becomes rigid, our throat clams shut and we stammer. Practice the following ten times before moving on to step two: follow the breath - belly out when we breath in, belly in when we breath out. Faster on the in breath - a longer on the out breath.
Step Two – Speak deeper and down. Lower the tone of your voice and imagine the words coming from way down out of your chest then down towards the floor. This may sound a little strange but there’s a good reason for it. When we project our voice down it’s away from the throat area the place where our words may get stuck leading to a block. Speaking deeper really helps.
Step Three – Don’t keep going backwards over words when you talk and remember to pause. This is a negative habit. Leave the word alone and move ahead. Use the deep tone and breathing as well as you can and go forward. When you speak pause on purpose sometimes this can be scary at first but with practice it gets easier. By pausing a little longer than usual you give yourself the time you need to breath in deeply and ready yourself for what you want to say next. You can practice longer pauses when you are alone. There is power in being able to pause well, it breeds confidence.
Step Four – Go out into the street and practice the above. Be prepared for whatever happens its all experience. Go into shops and ask for something – make it fun. Don’t beat yourself up if it goes wrong. Just remember you are improving your speech – it takes time, who knows you may even surprise yourself!
Step Five – Get support from family and friends and just as importantly – a therapist. A good therapist will set goals and be able to offer guidance when things go wrong. Many stammerers have beaten themselves up emotionally for many years and recovery from stammering can bring out pent up emotions, that's why a good therapist and certainly not necessarily a speech therapist, can help you deal with these emotions.
