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From: John Ravenscroft
Date: 15 Oct 2004
Time: 03:11:43 -0500
Remote Name: 195.92.67.69
Hi, Megan: '--- I was wondering if hiding your stutter means that you had control over it, and if so, isn't that success? Or did you just find a way to avoid a time or situation where you would stutter? ---' It depends how you define success. If success is being able to speak and have nobody listening aware that you have a stutter, then I've been a success for years. But if success is being able to use *exactly* the words you want to use in any situation, then I failed every single day. As I said to Mary, I guess there were at least three main techniques I used to use (and to some extent still do). (1) If I felt there was a high chance of stuttering in a given situation, I would try to avoid the situation. (2) If I was in the middle of saying something and I sensed I was going to block on a particular word, I would word-switch - find an alternative word. (3) If I had to go into a shop and ask for a specific product, and if I sensed I was going to block on the product's name, I would ease my way into asking by adding a few words at the start of my sentence. Rather than saying: 'I want a box of X, please...' - I'd come out with something like: 'Hello, I wonder if you can help me, I'm looking for X...' Regarding avoiding situations, I now have a new technique. I had to collect an award in London a week ago, and was asked to read one of my stories aloud - quite a high-profile affair. I seriously considered backing out of it, but I knew I'd have felt bad about doing so. Reasoning that the cause of my anxiety was the fear of blocking (and thus exposing the 'shameful' fact that I have a stutter) - I simply exposed the fact straight away. I told my audience that I hoped I was going to be able to read my story to them, but I had this speech problem that sometimes prevented me from getting my words out. I made a joke or two about what they should do if I blocked. They laughed, which helped put me (and them) at ease. Because I no longer had the fear that I would mess up and they would discover my shameful secret - I was perfectly fluent. It's such a strange business, isn't it? Until recently, I would NEVER have told anyone about my speech problem. It was something that had to be concealed at all costs. And yet one of the keys to mastering it is to be open about it. (John)