Blog - Stutter Off

Stuttering VS fear of public speaking: Are they related?

My first encounter with public speaking, other than regular classroom experiences, was at the age of thirteen. My dad had decided to throw a big bar mitzvah party for me.

It was very important to him that I have a proper one. And by “proper,” I mean that I had to give a pre-written orthodox sermon about the Bible and the Jewish people and what not. A very natural thing for a thirteen year old, secular kid who also happened to have a severe stutter.

In the weeks prior to the event, I dealt with who to invite and what to wear. I tried no to think too much about the speech. Since I’d made a great effort to avoid speaking in class, I didn’t really know what was heading my way. And anyway, how bad could it be?

Before going to speech therapy, read this!

The reason that speech-altering therapies (called Fluency Shaping) work for some people is that they are all-consuming. They start drilling a new form of speaking into you and you are expected to use it 100% of the time.

The idea is as if to “install” a brand new speaking mechanism that replaces the current, stuttering one. Similar to learning to play a new instrument, in the beginning you’ll sound mechanical and strange, but with time and practice, you’ll sound natural.
IN THEORY.
(The reality is very different.)

Breaking the stutter shell: From a quiet loner to centre of attention

Looking back to my old school days, I was the guy at the party who sat alone near the wall, trying to look nonchalant while everyone else was dancing and chatting. It’s not that I was concerned about my dancing skills, it was the small chats between, and sometimes during, songs that I couldn’t handle.

Fast forward twenty years, at my friend’s wedding, I’m a totally different person. I’m a conversation starter, moving from one group of people to another, introducing myself to anyone who looks interesting.

You can transform yourself too . I’ll show you how.

How I met my daughters’ mother: Dating with a stutter

It’s 2009. A spiritual festival in the middle of the desert. A few dozen people walking around on dusty straw mats under a large tent in a singles workshop. Each of us searching for a partner for the next exercise. This was the second time I laid eyes on the prettiest girl I had ever seen…