Stuttering - The struggle for words
What exactly is stuttering (lat. Balbuties)?
Time and again people come to our practice who are inhibited in their speech due to stuttering. Many have the problem of being repeatedly stuck with words. They know what they want to say and yet they have a disrupted flow of speech. This leads to various language problems. How does stutter sound like? And what are the signs??
- Silent pressing of the initial letters (s———alad)
- drawing out different sounds (I aaaam huuungry)
- repeating words and letters (H-H-Hallo)
This mentally stressful language disorder is physical and should not be viewed as a mental illness. It occurs regardless of social and cultural origin, level of education and the way people interact with one another within the family. It should be noted that stuttering occurs individually, as everyone stutters differently, some very little and in some it is more noticeable.
Furthermore, this disturbance of the flow of speech can occur with other abnormalities, which additionally disrupt and make communication more difficult. These symptoms include, for example, blinking, trembling lips, sweating, or rapid breathing. These signs severely reduce self-esteem and lead many to fear. This can then lead to avoidance strategies, up to and including introversion.
Why do you stutter?
Various actions are controlled in the brain that form a complex interplay. Many people suffer from constant stuttering when talking, which is due to various factors, be it psychological, neurological or genetic factors.
In recent years, genetic chromosomal changes have increasingly been detected in stutterers. Due to the fact that stuttering often occurs in families, it is now assumed that there is a tendency to stutter. This means that stuttering can, but does not have to be, inherited. A prediction as to the conditions under which stuttering will definitely be inherited or not cannot be made.
In people who stutter, there is increased activity in the right hemisphere while speaking. This can be observed especially when the stuttering speaks fluently. It is therefore assumed that stutterers use an area of the right brain hemisphere to compensate for lack of fluency in speech. Since the corresponding right-sided brain area in healthy speakers is not intended for speaking, the compensation mechanism in stuttering people is also not sufficiently effective, so that speech inconsistencies still occur.
Traumatic experiences, accidents, special events or the presence of language development disorders are not the cause of stuttering. But you can help trigger and maintain it.
Are there solutions to defeat the brain salad?
It depends. It is very rare to be able to completely lose stuttering. The earlier you start therapy with us, the greater the success in a smooth flow of speech. Continuous training through therapy still improves speaking and helps control stuttering. Our general goals of stuttering therapy at Logolo are above all:
- To take away the fear of the stuttering
- to practice speaking fluently and smoothly
- physical and emotional relief
- to teach the less strenuous ways of speaking in everyday life
- to convey a feeling for the rhythm of speech and breathing
We offer our patients the best possible advice and support in order to greatly minimize stuttering, in the best case to lose it completely. Be it for adults or children, our speech therapists adapt individually to the stuttering and thus approach the respective person with different approaches.
Do you stutter too and it bothers you in everyday life? Then don't waste any time and visit us in one of the three practices in Lichtenberg, Pankow or Bernau near Berlin.
Your practice team Logolo
