Nervousness and stuttering (medication, trigger, therapy, anxious)

[stick2dascript]

I have a bad speech impediment, it's the biggest reason for my struggles with jobs and so forth. I have a habit of biting the skin off my fingers and shaking constantly, I want to know if I stop this will it help me relax?

The white part us the part I bite. What do you think? I know I need to see a doctor but I'm constantly nervous.

[Zen Dragonfly]

You should see a doctor, dear. You sound very anxious. Once you get anxiety under control, the stuttering may get better as well (shaking will definitely get better).

Singing is often recommended for those who stutter as well.
The kind of songs where you have to really sing the words, not just say them, 50s-60s music should go well for this exercise

[L'Artiste]

as a kid i had this problem, so i read tons of info on the internet on how to overcome stage fright and 10 years later i don't stutter or get nervous in front of large crowds. you could try that or speak with someone

[todd00]

Have you looked at online stuttering support sites at all? I've listed a few of them. And then there is this thing called Fluency Master you wear behind your ear that is suppose to help control stuttering and enhance speech fluency.

I can stammer and stutter when I get anxiety attacks real bad, but thats different than what you have. Still I understand from that how frustrated you must feel. I hope you can find something that helps, possibly people on the sites and on the forum will be able to suggest other things as well. Keep trying, take care.

For Those Who Stutter: Stuttering Treatment Home Page

stutteringhelp.org/adults page Adults

National Stuttering Association (NSA): Stuttering Help

Here's a forum too.
Stuttering Forum - Therapy, Help, Cure, Treatment
http://www.stutteringcommunity.com/

[AnonChick]

You need to unburden yourself of the anxiety first. Once you do that, whatever stuttering is left, will be your "real" level of stuttering instead of stuttering compounded by anxiety (which makes it worse).

You need to know if your speech impediment is -caused- by the anxiety, or only triggered by it. The only way to find that out, is to get rid of the anxiety and see what's left over.

Have you tried going to a private spot (like your bedroom) and reading a few paragraphs of a book out loud? You can experiment with the pace - read just three words, then stop. Read a few more words, then stop. Then, change it up and read a whole sentence, inflecting wherever you feel it should be inflected, then stop. Then read another whole sentence, then stop.

When you're alone, you -should- be more relaxed, than when you're out in the open where others can hear you. If you notice that your speech is more fluid when you're alone, than it is when you're in front of other people, then you'll know that a lot of the problem is influenced by your anxiety level.

There are treatments for severe stuttering but some of them are pretty drastic. I'd look into resolving the anxiety first, and then see what's left to treat, if anything. It might end up being that you still stutter, but only trip over a couple of words and only a little bit, so it sounds more like a quirk of your personality rather than a medical malady.

If it makes you feel better, I have a natural stammer and I can't read out loud without tripping over half the words. I'm not a stutterer but sometimes - I just can't get a word out of my mouth, and I end up saying "uh, uh..um.." until it pops out

[Ringo1]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

You need to unburden yourself of the anxiety first. Once you do that, whatever stuttering is left, will be your "real" level of stuttering instead of stuttering compounded by anxiety (which makes it worse).

You need to know if your speech impediment is -caused- by the anxiety, or only triggered by it. The only way to find that out, is to get rid of the anxiety and see what's left over.

Have you tried going to a private spot (like your bedroom) and reading a few paragraphs of a book out loud? You can experiment with the pace - read just three words, then stop. Read a few more words, then stop. Then, change it up and read a whole sentence, inflecting wherever you feel it should be inflected, then stop. Then read another whole sentence, then stop.

When you're alone, you -should- be more relaxed, than when you're out in the open where others can hear you. If you notice that your speech is more fluid when you're alone, than it is when you're in front of other people, then you'll know that a lot of the problem is influenced by your anxiety level.

There are treatments for severe stuttering but some of them are pretty drastic. I'd look into resolving the anxiety first, and then see what's left to treat, if anything. It might end up being that you still stutter, but only trip over a couple of words and only a little bit, so it sounds more like a quirk of your personality rather than a medical malady.

If it makes you feel better, I have a natural stammer and I can't read out loud without tripping over half the words. I'm not a stutterer but sometimes - I just can't get a word out of my mouth, and I end up saying "uh, uh..um.." until it pops out

I agree with AnonChick - control the anxiety and you will better control your speech. If that requires an anti-anxiety medication - then so be it.

I had a stutter in grade school that gradually got better. To this day, though I don't like to read anything scripted out loud. As long as I can talk 'freely' and choose my own words - I'm fine.

I do notice that at the end of a looong day OR if I am extremely nervous about (anything) - my speech will become more difficult and I have to be more careful.

Good Luck OP and make that doctor appointment.