Well, why this topic all of a sudden? No, I am not into medical research now. Was in a mood to write something tonight. Kept my pen and diary aside and opened the blog for a change. It was starving desperately without articles. So, why not have a go about Stammering, one of the uphill battles some of us face?
What is Stammering?
It’s a mode of speech where an individual gives the pause and repeats the words without his/her liking. Every child goes through the stammering phase when it starts speaking 2-3 letter words. A child’s innocence is often liked due to this phase. Stammering vanishes gradually as the child reaches 5-7 years of age. Wait, not always. NOT ALWAYS.
Stammering can make both physical and mental impacts on a person. Many unwanted incidents may have to be faced. Your confidence may be torn apart. Have a look at some of the real incidents faced :
- The classmates, relatives and friends (??) make fun of the way you speak.
- You may not be able to answer the questions your teacher asks in spite of knowing what it is. You may be sent out of the class for the same reason J
- You may not be able to even answer the attendance.
- You may not openly speak to people, which makes them brand you as arrogant.
- Your stammering may make people think that you are actually mimicking them initially!
- You may start hating your own words. You may end up saying something which you really didn’t mean. Brain knows what to say but tongue stops. You may not be allowed to complete your words or people may not be interested in listening to you. These things can frustrate anyone.
Hammer it !!
First thing the person should do is to stop caring about what others think. Remember, you and only you can come out of this. Fun makers can only make you more determined. Choose the best people around you who are sensible enough not to discourage you (who better than parents and sisters?) Keep speaking with these people about everything under sun! Do not stop. Keep speaking , go on speaking J
Meditate, control your emotions and use shorter words/sentences. Close the door and read the complete newspaper aloud. Do not take a break, read it aloud and keep doing this like mad!!
Speak less to people initially. Do not speak when you are angry or too happy. Avoid using the letters or words which you think are complicated. Develop a good body language which can divert the people’s attention from your stuttering words to your actions and ideas. Be positive, be confident. That is all you need to do.
Taking this as a defect, feeling isolated and comparing yourself to others can only demoralize you. Do not waste time on those. There are many more things to be conquered in life J
And all the others who do not stammer, it is just another way of speaking. Stammering is something a person can not consciously control. So, asking anyone to stop stammering or suggesting to think before speaking doesn’t help. Just leave the person to himself and give enough time for the person to communicate. The way you listen can definitely make the person comfortable.
Finally, if you think your stammering may stop you from being successful, here is the link which lists the famous people who succeeded in life in spite of stammering. They are the ones who hammered the stammer. Now it’s your turn J
http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/famous/famouspws.html
