The fourth technique recommended by Self Therapy for Stutters from the Stuttering Foundation of America is "Do your best to stop all avoidances, postponement or substitution habits, which you may have acquired to put off, hide or minimize your stuttering.".
This is a tough one, because the person who stutters is the only one who knows if they have avoided or substituted a word. For example the other day I was asked where my sister has gone. I answered by saying that she has gone to summer camp in the US. However what I really wanted to say was that she has gone to summer camp in Colorado, but couldn't get the 'c' sound out so substituted it for 'US'.
Avoiding or substituting words is a short term solution to a long term problem. It brings instant relief, however the list of words that I avoid is only going to grow.
From Transcending Stuttering: The Inside Story
You know you go to McD's and you want to order a 'cheese burger', for some reason that day you can't say 'cheese' to save the world. You order whatever is easy to say, man wow. You just like kicking yourself, you kicking yourself. Because on the outside you didn't hear me stutter, ok, so I won that whatever battle, ok, I got that one. But when I get home their is a much bigger battle and that is self respect.
Here are my avoidance practices:
- substituting words
- changing the sound of the word slightly. For example if a battle to say ārrest, I will instead change the sound slightly and say əˈrest.
- going back to get a running start. Here if a hit a block, I will go back a few words in the sentence and try to get a running start.
- adding extra words before the block. eg add a 'um or ah' before the word to try and ease into it without stuttering.
- pretend I don't know the answer.
After working through technique #4 this is was stands out for me:
Work on one avoidance at a time.
Face one feared situation a day and write down your experience.
Sooner or later you will have to stop running away. Now is a good time to stand and fight.
The less you avoid, the more confidence you will have in yourself as a respectable and worthy person.
Your opinions need to be heard as well as those of the next person.
To end off here is a list of words that I battle with and am working on no longer avoiding:
Anthony, Arrest, Adopt-a-block, America, BMW, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Direction, Drupal, Emmarentia, Jeremy, Lion, Mentoring, Magazine, Police Reservist, Pepper Spray, Repeat, Received, Steven, Stability, Stutter, Statistical, Statistics, USA, Warren, Warrant.
