Strange Facts about Stammering
Statistics
1% of the adult population stammers. Men account for 80% of all adult
stammerers.
Closet stammerers
Stammerers often resort to word replacement in order to avoid stammering.
When a stammerer feels he will stammer on a particular word, he often tries
to find an alternative word with a similar meaning. Some stammerers are so
successful in using this technique that no one, not even their spouse, knows
that they are stammerers. Stammerers who successfully manage to hide their
stammering by using word replacements are called 'closet stammerers'.
Although they don't actually stammer, these 'closet stammerers' nevertheless
suffer greatly from their speech disorder. Scanning ahead for feared words
is stressful and the replacement word is usually not as adequate of a choice
as the stammerer originally intended. Closet stammerers often order a
pizza when they want to eat a burger or compromise their opinions.
Reaction to stress
We all react to stress in different ways but nearly all stammerers have
one thing in common when it comes to reacting to stress: they tighten the
muscles of their vocal cords. This explains why stammering becomes worse
when a stammerer is under pressure.
Changing name
Stammerers often have extreme difficulties saying their own names. This
is extremely embarrassing and some stammerers have even resorted to having
their names changed to a name they can easily say. Once the name has been
legally changed, the stammerer often finds out that he/she can now say the
old name with ease but severely blocks on the new name.
Singing, speaking in unison, whispering...
Stammerers usually don't stammer when they sing, speak in unison,
whisper, talk to a pet or speak to a small child. |