I began stuttering at age 3. I am now 31. I have suffered blocks, long silences and many repeats. My life, growing-up and as a young adult, was much like any congenital stutterer, a painful, endless stream of humiliating speech experiences virtually every day of my life. I have tried so many therapies, courses, therapists, but most primarily taught “acceptance”. In 2016, I took a very expensive speech course; it helped in some situations, even at Toastmasters, but not when it came to making presentations before academic icons. In the end, they were all to no avail. I have cried, cried and got myself back up many times, being determined to push through, only to be disappointed once more.
By mid-2020, this was affecting around half my words. I had to do another post-doctoral presentation at my university; I practiced and memorized the presentation word by word; I even practiced saying many of the words; then, the presentation came, and it was simply awful. I had so much tension; it was like I was fighting a battle inside myself, a battle to say words that I could not say. I really needed help! I was desperate beyond all words but then I came upon Lee Lovett’s story, his awesome book and his videos, and I became inspired to try again.
I have always been a good student. I have a Ph.D. in a well-known disease. I received a scholarship to do post-doctoral research in neuroscience at a major university in England. This job requires me to do presentations frequently to panels of scholars. The pressure is unbelievable.
After reading Lee’s book, I joined Speech Anxiety Cures. I watched many coaching videos and many of Lee’s video-lectures on his books, and I attended SAM Meetings (SAC’s speech club where ex-stutterers help stutterers with public speaking), and I did the daily reading aloud and mind training and worked on Lee’s crutches. I also Skyped with Lee many times.
In May 2021, for the first time in my life, I did a formal presentation without appearing speech disabled. I starterd very well and I spoke softly. I was calm and I inserted many long pauses. I also linked my words and on several occasions I used Crutch 4 (inserting a word and jamming it into the feared word). I also rephrased some sentences, and I spoke less. That is, I didn’t say anything unnecessary. Most important, I included FULL STOPS. Finally, I showed myself that I can make presentations without appearing speech disabled.
I know that I still have a way to go to learn to love to speak, but I have shown myself that I can avoid appearing speech disabled if I just continue on this path: reading aloud with passion, doing my daily mind training and using the crutches when needed. Speaking softly, linking words and inserting full stops have been the best for me.
I feel as though I have fought stuttering for many lifetimes, but I’m only 31, but, finally, I have found a system that really works, when I apply myself. I urge all stutterers to study Lee’s book and take advantage of the videos, tips, SAM Meetings and all the rest that SAC offers. It is what it says it is: “The world’s only community of ex-stutterers.” There is a reason for that – they broke the stuttering code.
Sarah, UK-Africa, August 2021