Is there a way to stop stuttering?

[CornSnakeGirl]

Hello, I'm fourteen years old and I have a mild stuttering problem. I have low confidence and self esteem, and because of that I am very shy. Until I was about ten years old, I probably had the biggest ego a girl could have; I was skinny, pretty, had a great family life, and went to a local private christian school. When my dad lost his job as the vice president of a large company, we had to move hundreds of miles from California to Tennessee. I went to a public school in a very bad part of town where I was severely bullied, physically and verbally. I began to stutter badly in front of people, speak very quietly with my eyes cast downward, and really began hating myself.

Now, it isn't as bad, but it is still an issue. I transferred to a much nicer public school where I don't get bullied, but am also invisible with no real friends. I haven't worn shorts in three and half years and I haven't been seen without a jacket on at my school for three years also. Lately, however, I have very recently shed the jacket in public, but not school yet. Whenever I talk to someone outside my family, I will stutter mildly. And the more nervous I am, the worse it gets.

Is there a way to treat myself without therapy? My family cannot afford it right now and are too busy with their own problems to deal with my stupid ones. Can you please maybe state some exercises that I can do by myself? Like maybe go out in public and do little surveys. I don't think I'm pretty at all; I've been to the doctor and told I am a healthy weight but I still look in the mirror and see a fat, ugly girl. I really want to fix my self image and other people's views of me, and I would love it if you gave an answer. Thank you for taking the time to read this!

[Bittertooth]

I would be open with your friends, and ask them to point it out when you do it.

When they point it out, don't make a big deal about it, just keep talking, but try to fix the problem.

If you are being coy, then exercise will help your stuttering problem...

[secret]

You need to just be more confident. And you aren't ugly......you aren't fat either. And guys don't mind a little puffy stomach. Woman aren't suppose to have be skinny in their stomach areas. Because you have a womb, do you know what a womb is? It is an extra layer of fat that a baby can grow in. Men don't have this.

Looks like you were humbled because you were egotistical before. Embrace some moral principles and then things will go well for you. Don't cuss, don't get mad easily, don't insult others, don't do any perverted things, etc, etc.

[Conscientious]

Hi, CornSnakeGirl,

I was once a 14-year-old young lady who stuttered and I know how hard it is. Please know that help is available.

Please consider going to the website of the Stuttering Foundation. The Foundation offers a free downloadable copy of the book "Self-Therapy for the Stutterer" which has a lot of good information about exercises you can do and different ways you can think about your stuttering.

Also, there are some Facebook pages that are helpful. I write for the Facebook page of Speak Easy International, which is a self-help and support group for people who stutter. In addition, there is a Facebook page just for women who stutter called "Women Who Stutter: Our Stories", which I've found to be helpful.

Good luck to you. We're rooting for you! Please know that you're not alone.

[Cooper]

When I try not to stutter, I stutter more. Thinking about what I am saying rather than how I am saying it helps. I stutter more when I am tired, so I try to get plenty of rest. When I talk, I keep it slow pausing often and sometimes think of a metronome to pace my speech. Sliding into some words helps. I learned all this from the books and videos from the Stuttering foundation.