Stress + Change = More Stuttering
Posted on: August 22, 2011
- In: Posts
- 8 Comments
This is a no-brainer. We all know that stress is not the cause of stuttering, but increased stress can seem to increase our stuttering, making it more noticeable or frustrating.
I wrote about this same topic two years ago when I was going through a unusually stressful time and noticed increased stuttering. You can check out that post here.
I have had a very stressful two months, filled with change and uncertainty, and some pain. On June 30, I was laid off from my job, and still don’t know if I will have a position at the start of the new school year.
On July 30, I had a bad fall from a bike. I needed stitches on my forehead, and sustained a deep tissue bruise on my shin, which 3 weeks later, is just beginning to feel normal again.
And last week, water came into my apartment through a broken drainage pipe outside of my apartment, soaking and ruining all of my carpets. I have to move. Doing so with less than a week’s notice is VERY stressful.
During these past weeks, I have noticed quite a bit more stuttering, in situations where I usually am quite mild. It’s been frustrating for me, because I am used to knowing when I am prone to stutter the most.
Now, I am stuttering a lot in different situations. Including one-on-one situations with friends with whom I rarely stutter. I feel very self-conscious when that occurs.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?
8 Responses to "Stress + Change = More Stuttering"
August 22, 2011 at 4:25 PM
YES!!!!! OMG,YES LOL! For the past 7 years I have been under stress and now I can’t be covert lol. I stutter with family when I never really did before and talking to my mom really stresses me out and now on the phone I stutter very badly with her. When I get stressed and even have change that I don’t like, it makes me stutter really bad and I cannot control it. I know exactly what you are going through. I can relate to you 100%! I am not good when it comes to change and stress and it makes my stuttering worse when it was VERY mild to begin with. What to do???
August 22, 2011 at 8:29 PM
Yes, Pam, stress and change tends to ratchet up my stuttering. I usually notice that in those times, I am not breathing well at all. I try to focus on that and it helps but I’ve gotten to a point where I just let myself ride it out. If I want to try to change/control my stuttering during those times, it has to be for me, usually because it’s just so tiring. I’m doing pretty good now a-days not caring if others hear me in stressed out mode stuttering more. I was told that we PWS have a vulnerability in our speech mechanism and stress impacts that vulnerability first for us. Other people have other vulnerabilities that are impacted/aggravated by stress. I agree with Lori, voluntary stuttering cuts through the tension.
August 22, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Pam, I had no idea how much stress you have been under lately. It is just not fair – you are such a great person. Yes, stress plus change equals stuttering. When I moved from Russia to the US I had my stuttering well under control. I could always get out of the blocks and used my techniques when I had to speak well. I stuttered, but not awfully bad. Withing months my speech in this new country fell apart. Not only English, but my native speech also. It got a bit better over time, but I don’t know how I would speak now if i didn’t find all those new theories on stuttering and didn’t start exploring new strategies. On the bright side, if I didn’t hit the rock borrom, and was still able to control my stuttering, I may never go to such lenght in overcoming stuttering. Pam, I realy hope that without regard to your stuttering your life will change and you will overcome his dark area of your life and become stronger.
Anna
August 23, 2011 at 11:05 AM
Pam!
I think that you can handle it in two ways: or you can just wait until it will pass away(and it will),
or you can use it to learn about your feelings when you stutter”too much”,and to try to desensitize yourself to your stuttering more and more.
I also have days that it is very difficult for me to handle my stuttering,not because i stutter more,but because i tense harder,and
the fear of “loosing the ability to communicate again” get stronger .
The amount of stuttering is usually, less concern me,if it happen in my safe zone I see it as great opportunity to try stutter without panic!
I wish you happy times soon!
August 23, 2011 at 11:21 AM
It seems that when there are so many things on the brain that all that energy that we use for speech tools gets sucked up by other stuff. And it sounds like everything hit at one time for you Pam. In fact I was just thinking, haven’t seen a lot on fb from Pam and now I see why! Hope everything gets addressed without additional stress. ❤
August 23, 2011 at 10:49 PM
hello:)! Yes this does sound familiar. I think it must be because I am thinking about school starting that makes my stutter increased right now. I’ve noticed it’s happening in situations were it usually like at home just taking to my sister. I mean yes I usually stutter at home ofcourse but for some reason it seems more profound lately.
Make Room For The Stuttering 
August 22, 2011 at 4:04 PM
Yes! This is very familiar. Last year, when my father nearly died, and I was the main point of contact for all my family, my stuttering tension went through the roof and lasted that way for a while. I have found that voluntary stuttering does WONDERS for bringing my tension back down. I just quit my cush government job/successful career, where everyone loved me, to pursue the job I really want (but was too scared to do because of my stuttering). With this, also comes a move back across country. Throw some personal issues in there which I won’t go into. All very very stressful stuff. I can feel it physically in the forms of GI issues, different sleep patterns, and headaches (which I never get). The stuttering started to increase, and I threw some voluntary stuttering at it, and bam, my tension is back down to “normal”. We’ll see how this continues to work (or doesn’t).