Treatments for Stuttering

Stuttering can be very devastating considering the extreme feeling of embarrassment that it may cause you especially if you are speaking in a crowd. The problem is capable of lowering your self-confidence since you will dread the thought of speaking in public and being laughed at. If you are suffering from this problem for a long time now, then you have to know that there are ways for you to deal with this. Bear in mind that stuttering is considered to be a speech impairment that can be cured so it is advisable for you to never lose hope. The following are some of the most effective treatments for stuttering that may work perfectly for you:

1. Stuttering Therapy. Out of the many available treatments for stuttering, therapy is considered to be the most popular one. The therapy is known to be extremely effective when used by those who are still at a young age. It is because it is capable of correcting stuttering problems at the earliest stages. But you have to know that even if the therapy cannot be expected to completely cure the problem if you are already an adult, you can still expect it to work in significantly reducing those instances when you stutter.

2. Hypnotherapy. This treatment involves the process of hypnotizing you for the purpose of overcoming your tendency to stutter. The treatment uses auto-suggestion to condition your mind to avoid stuttering while you are still under hypnosis. You can expect this to work by sending a message to your mind that you are not suffering from any speech impediment problem. By blocking the thought of stuttering from your mind, hypnotherapy can be expected to work in effectively eliminating the speech impairment from your memory. However, there are instances when you still continue to stutter especially after your memory is awakened.

3. Fluency Shaping Therapy. This treatment is also popular for its other names including prolonged speech, speak more fluently and connected speech. This specific type of therapy works by training those who have problems with stuttering to speak more fluently by learning the proper ways to control articulation, phonation and breathing. This is also known to be dependent on operant conditioning techniques. The speech training actually involves reducing the rate of your speaking by stretching consonants and vowels and utilizing any other techniques that can improve your fluency in speaking such as soft speech contacts and continuous airflow. In the long run, this approach can be expected to work perfectly in improving the way you speak and in completely eliminating your speech impairment.

4. Stuttering Modification Therapy. The primary purpose of this therapy is not to fully get rid of your stuttering problem but to change it to ensure that it becomes easier for you to deal with it. It works by identifying the usual triggers of your stuttering and try to cure these causes to ensure that your tendency to stutter is reduced. Since fear and anxiety are among the major causes of the speech impairment, these two are being blocked from your mind. You will be helped in conquering your fears and in avoiding anxiety to gradually reduce your tendency to stutter.

5. Anti-stuttering Medications. These medications include pharmacological agents such as anticonvulsants, antipsychotic, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, dopamine antagonists and antihypertensive medications. These are known to work perfectly in both adults and children who suffer from the major consequences of stuttering. But despite the effectiveness of these treatments, there are also serious side effects to the regular intake of them. These side effects include increased blood pressure and weight gain. However, there are certain medications that only allow you to suffer minor and tolerable side effects such as fatigue and headaches. You have to consult your doctor prior to trying out any of the available anti-stuttering medications to guarantee your safety.

More Information On Speech and Language Fluency (Stuttering)

  1. Dr. Fluency
  2. Stuttering in Children
  3. Stuttering Prevention
  4. The Stuttering Foundation of America