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From: Gunars
Date: 13 Oct 2004
Time: 23:46:28 -0500
Remote Name: 24.16.236.248
Dear Emily, .. .I think there are two important aspects: .. .The first is changing the self-sabotaging beliefs about your stuttering: .. 1. I am worthless, if I stutter. . TO: I am a worthwhile person whether I stutter or not. . 2. I cant be happy, if I stutter. . TO: Even though it is harder to be happy if I stutter, I can still enjoy many, many things and even become almost as happy whether I stutter or not. . 3. I cant stand stuttering. . TO: Although I dont go around cheering about my stuttering I can learn how to tolerate it quite well. . 4. It is awful to stutter. . TO: Stuttering has some practical disadvantages, but I dont have to define it as AWFUL or unbearable. . 5. I have to rate myself. Since, I stutter, I rate as an incompetent nincompoop. The lowest of low. . TO: I can stop comparing myself to other people. I have some good characteristics and some bad ones. I can accept myself unconditionally without comparing myself. . 6. I have to talk perfectly or else I am a total slob. . TO: I dont have to think or call myself a slob even though I stutter. There is no evidence that people who stutter are any worse or better than people who dont. . 7. I must be approved by other people but stuttering makes me unlikable. . TO: Some people will like me, some wont. Some people will dislike me for stuttering. Some people will dislike me for other things. I dont have to be liked by ALL people. . 8. I need, must, and should have perfect speech. . TO: It would be nice if I had a more fluent speech, but I dont NEED it. As for perfect speech, nobody has perfect speech. . 9. If people do not understand that I only have a speech impediment and am not mentally damaged goods, they should be damned. . TO: Some people are not too smart, but I will not upset myself about them. I will accept them, even though I may not like them. . 10. People who act unfairly toward people who stutter should be damned to hell. . TO: All people make some mistakes. It is only human. Live and let live. . 11. I need an immediate gratification and should speak perfectly, fluently, right now, if I work on my speech and my speech attitudes. . TO: Although I would like better speech, I dont have to speak perfectly or fluently. . 12. I need somebody on whom I can depend to help me to get over my stuttering. . TO: I can work on my speech and improve it step by step. It would be nice to get some competent help, but if I dont get competent help, I can still survive. . The other aspect is to practice playing around with your speech. The Speech Modification treatment taught by the Speech and Language Professionals is the best. This consists of: . 1. Voluntary pseudo-stuttering to desensitize a stutterer (rewire his brain not to be oversensitive about stuttering). . 2. Cancellations both to desensitize the stutterer and teach him some control over his feelings, self-talk, and sound forming. . 3. Pullouts to teach the stutterer stay with the sound and then reform it. 4. Pre-pullouts to anticipate the stutter and control it. . From Fluency Shaping I would add: . 1. Easy onsets analogous to pre-pullouts . 2. Elongation of vowels this gives a feeling of control over the speech. . Gunars