| Stuttering is a speech impediment which affects | | | | What will happen if I stutter when talking to the |
| approximately one percent of the adult population | | | | teacher tomorrow? |
| in the UK. This speech defect mainly affects men | | | | What if I am unable to speak fluently at the job |
| and can have a catastrophic impact on their lives. | | | | interview tomorrow? |
| In this article I will be writing about the ways in | | | | What if I am unable to answer the telephone |
| which a stutter can ruin and dictate a person's life. | | | | fluently at work tomorrow? |
| My name is Steve Hill; I am aged 34 and I am | | | | I have lost many many hours of sleep due to the |
| from the United Kingdom. I feel that I am well | | | | anxiety associated with stuttering. |
| educated in the field of stuttering due to the fact | | | | To cope with this stuttering fear, phobia and |
| that I had a stutter for eighteen years. Unless | | | | anxiety, I decided that I needed to have a |
| you have suffered with this frustrating problem, it | | | | number of replacement thought processes This is |
| would be impossible to understand just how it | | | | a bit like when you attempt to quit smoking, |
| feels to be unable to communicate in a fluent | | | | when you think you want a cigarette you do |
| manner. | | | | something else instead. |
| For many years I had a fear and phobia of | | | | My alternative thoughts included imagining I was |
| speaking to other people, I could talk to myself | | | | on my summer holidays, on a beach with the sun |
| without any problem at all, I was able to talk as | | | | beating down on me. I love my summer vacation |
| fluent as the next man, it was when speaking to | | | | and this and my many other alternative thoughts |
| other people that I had issues. Talking to | | | | were a major help in getting me to sleep at night. |
| strangers or meeting new people was especially | | | | I am now very happy to report that I have |
| difficult. | | | | overcome the stutter; in fact I have been fluent |
| I used to find it hard to get to sleep during this | | | | for the last twelve years. I will however, never |
| period of my life. I would lie awake, worrying and | | | | forget how much of a struggle it was for those |
| anxious about what might or would be happening | | | | eighteen years when I had that horrible, |
| the next day. I would ask myself questions such | | | | frustrating speech impediment. |
| as: | | | | |