[ Contents | Search | Post | Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]
From: Russ Hicks
Date: 08 Oct 2009
Time: 21:51:21 -0500
Remote Name: 71.252.253.154
Cathy, Acceptance for a covert stutterer is probably THE central issue. Going back to my fear of snakes example, "Go ahead, Russ, pick up that harmless little snake. He won't hurt you...!" Are you out of your friggin' mind?! You gotta be kiddin'! No way, Jose! ... See, I DO understand the fear of covert stutterers. Acceptance by an overt stutterer - like me - is a LOT easier than for a covert stutterer - like you - who has spend her entire life in denial of the fact that you may... possibly... ah... er... "S!" ... But just because it's hard - boy howdy, I KNOW it's hard! - doesn't negate the necessity of taking some sort of action to deal with that paralyzing fear. Support groups and internet lists like Covert-S are probably the best therapy for covert stutterers. It's really powerful to finally realize you're not alone, that other people feel the same way you do and have thought the same thoughts that you have. The NSA's motto "If you stutter, you're not alone" is a VERY powerful statement for a covert "S"-er! ... However difficult it is, it CAN be done. Look at Chris Roach for example. Read his article in this ISAD conference. Would he have written that several years ago? I don't think so! He has made remarkable progress in acceptance. And look at YOU as another example. You even get your own mail from the NSA rather than having everything sent to Bernie's house so the postman won't see the word "stuttering" written on the envelope! Hey, that's good progress! And an NSA board member at that! ... But all that being said, it didn't happen overnight. It takes TIME for acceptance to happen. Maybe not in your HEAD, but in your HEART. And that's why NSA conferences and the Covert Workshop year after year after year and running Covert-S year after year after year and working with other people who stutter year after year after year is so critically important. Your HEAD responds pretty quick to logic and reason. But your HEART responds very slowly to ACTION and repetition - year after year after year... Keep up the good work! ... Okay, how'd I do? :)