Stuttering: Basics & Resources

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) or medical expert of any kind. I am going to talk about stuttering from the perspective of someone who has lived with this condition for most of my life and highlight what I have learnt in that time.

Introduction:

Stuttering is a notoriously difficult condition to talk about for various reasons. There is no definitive cause for stuttering, nor is there a cure. It can be very obvious outwardly in some individuals while almost impossible to detect in others. In essence, each person’s stutter is unique to them.

Stuttering Basics:

Stuttering or Stammering? – You will often hear both of these terms used interchangeably. They both refer to the same condition, which is speech dysfluency. Generally ‘Stuttering’ is used in North America, while ‘Stammering’ is used in other English speaking regions globally.
Covert or Overt – You may have seen that some people can ‘hide’ their stutter very effectively, to such an extent that they may not appear to have one unless in very difficult or stressful situations. That is what is termed ‘covert’ or hidden. The opposite is ‘overt’ or obvious stuttering/speech dysfluency in every speaking situation. I would classify myself as a covert stutterer.
Stuttering Triggers – Stuttering can be triggered by a variety of things, but some of the most common are being asked your name, asking for things in shops, reading out loud in school or in groups, using the telephone, speaking to authority figures and any kind of public speaking. This is by no means and exhaustive list and I guarantee each person who stutters will have their own, unique triggers.
Men vs. Women – Very broadly speaking, stuttering affects more men than women by a ratio of 3:1. But women tend to stutter more severely compared to their male counterparts.
Components of stuttering – Stuttering operates on various levels:

Physical Level – On a physical level, stuttering appears as speech dysfluency such as word ‘blocking’, word repetition, shortness of breath, visible struggle with the articulators such as lips and tongue, avoidance of eye contact and extreme embarrassment are among the most common features.
Mental Level – When someone is in the mists of a stressful situation that triggers their stutter, they will usually feel extreme fear and panic. There can be an overwhelming urge to run away or avoid the situation entirely. Triggering situations can be anything ranging from having to make a phone call (which for me is still something I struggle with), to reading out loud in a social situation or asking for a beer at the bar. It puts the person who stutters under extreme and ongoing mental stress as we are always on the lookout for these triggering situations.
Emotional Level – The emotional level is for me the most damaging and toxic. There is the obvious fear and embarrassment a person who stutters can feel when they stutter, but there are other emotions such as low self-esteem and toxic self-hate. I myself would often feel worthless, weak and pathetic because I couldn’t say my name in class or ask for what I wanted in a shop. As a man, I felt incapable of being an effective leader or worthy of love and success. And these toxic emotions bubbled just beneath the surface for years before I found the stuttering community all around me.

The Stuttering Support Community & Resources:

For many people, having a stutter can feel like a cripplingburden to bear. As I said at the top of this page, there is no cure for stuttering and I know this as I spent close to twenty years looking for one. What I have learnt is that there is a wealth of support out there for people who stutter.

Some of the most common support structures are:

Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs)/ Speech Therapists – Most people who stutter will have experienced some form of ‘formal’ speech therapy to help treat them and I have had some wonderful therapists help me along my own journey. These qualified professionals will have a variety of tools and techniques at their disposal, dealing with both the physical and emotional aspects of stuttering.
Charity Organisations – There is a wealth of stuttering charity organisations globally that help people who stutter. I have worked and presented with the National Stuttering Association (https://westutter.org) in the US, the Canadian Stuttering Association (https://stutter.ca) in Canada and the Irish Stuttering Association (https://www.stammeringireland.ie) in Ireland. Today, most countries have such organisations and they all do the same thing. They support people who stutter.
Stuttering Recovery Programs – As with the charity organisations, there are various recovery programs around the world. The only one I can speak to personally is ‘The McGuire Programme’ (https://www.mcguireprogramme.com) as this is the group I am a part of. I did my first course in Dublin in 2003 and I learnt about a new way to breath and talk using tools and techniques over three days. But meeting other people who stuttered, was like being seen and understood for the first time in my life.
Stuttering Peer support groups – There are various stuttering peer support groups, mostly on social media. I can recommend two such groups. The first is The World Stuttering Network. I am a member of their board and they aim to connect people who stutter globally through events such as StutterFEST (https://www.worldstutteringnetwork.net). The other group is called Stuttering Awareness and Mental Wellbeing Ireland or just SAMW Ireland (https://www.stutteringawarenessmentalwellbeing.ie). This group focuses on raising awareness around mental wellbeing and spreading the word about stuttering to politicians, therapists and teachers all over the world.
Toastmasters International & Acting Improv groups – A major component of living with a stutter is pushing out your comfort zones, and public speaking is a great way to do this. I joined Toastmasters International (https://www.toastmasters.org) to learn about the basics of writing and delivering a speech. Many people who stutter do the same to help them become powerful speakers. Acting and Improvisational skills are also becoming more common place within the stuttering community. I helped design and deliver a course that brings improv skills to people who stutter through Improv for Work and Wellness called ‘The UnBlockables’ (https://www.improvforworkandwellness.com/stuttering). The difference between this and Toastmasters is that it is less structured and focuses on living ‘in the moment’ which is the way actors and performers learn to be creative and spontaneous.