Question
I’ve heard from my parents that I had a stammer when I was young. Since I can remember, I don’t recall having it. Recently, I’ve suddenly realized that I’m stammering again. Sometimes, I find it hard to get the first word out when speaking. The stammering occurs rarely, usually once every few days, and I’m very scared. The reason for the stammering might be that there’s a colleague in my office who stammers severely. Long-term interaction with him has affected me. Now, I’ve been avoiding talking to him. What else should I do?
Answer
Hello! As long as you don’t pay too much attention to your stammering and don’t carry any psychological burden, it will gradually ease up, even to the point where you won’t notice it. If you intentionally avoid speaking with a colleague who stammers, it indicates that you haven’t reduced your focus on the issue of stammering. This can aggravation your psychological burden and make your stammering worse. Moreover, it also affects interpersonal relationships, causing psychological harm to both others and yourself. A famous European orator once had a stammer and initially practiced public speaking by holding a pebble in his mouth in front of a mirror. You might want to try this. But make sure not to use a tiny pebble; it might end up being swallowed. Wishing you happiness!