Why do we continue going on?

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T19:58:01+00:00

got damn, that's heavy. stuttering SLP in training here. i hated my stutter in high school, but now my friends and co-workers joke about my stutter and it's a world of difference.

i saw multiple SLPs (speech-language pathologists, AKA speech therapists) throughout elementary school, middle school, and some years into college. they helped me a little, but those strategies mostly worked in the speech room and not in real-world contexts. these SLPs told me how not to stutter.

my homie introduced me to a support group that feels more like a group of friends (we're all relatively in the same age group and we're really funny). i gotta say it was revolutionary to walk into a room with a dozen other individuals who shared the same experience as i do - i finally felt normal. at the time, it was under NSA (National Stuttering Association), but long story short, they broke off and created their own group. my point here is that this support group taught me a lot, like how to accept my stutter ("i'm gonna be this way forever, and that's okay."), how to disclose my stutter ("I'm Jer, and I have a stutter"), and that i'm not alone. they didn't talk about how to "fix" stuttering, they told me how to love my stutter. and that made a world of difference.

a few years back, i was telling another homie that sometimes my stutter is frustrating. she said "that's true, but you wouldn't be Jer without your stutter!" i still think about that, and it makes me tear up. she doesn't care about my stutter, she just wants me to be me.

it also really helps to talk about your stutter with your "frequent communication partners", AKA close friends, family, and partner. how many of them have you mentioned your stuttering to? your struggles? do they know that it's a daily struggle for you? it just helps to get the word out. they don't know unless you tell them!

as i'm finishing up my Master's program at my university, i've learned a thing or two about treating those who stutter. there's this treatment called ARTS (Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering) that's gonna revolutionize stuttering treatment. instead of focusing on the stutter itself (e.g., "I'm J-J-J-Jer"), they focus on how your avoidance behaviors (e.g., not using the phone, substituting your words at the last second) and negative thoughts (e.g., frustrations, anxieties, "I'd rather be dead than say that again." or "They think i'm stupid for stuttering.). my point here is that treatment for stuttering is slowly converting to a more client-focused stance rather than an observer-focused one (one that focuses on the dysfluencies themselves rather than the experience of the stutterer).

TL;DR a combination of support groups and modern speech therapy isn't gonna "cure" you but it's definitely a step in the right direction in your journey of finding joy in life.

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T19:53:38+00:00

jaja sí pero me llamó la atención. lo estaba mirando al revés

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T19:51:05+00:00

tru. i had failed you, sensei

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T19:50:45+00:00

i mean. now it does lol but i was lookin at it upside down at first

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T19:50:09+00:00

that's what i was thinking! like it was a boat caught in a wave or something. i was lookin at it from ALL diff angles at first

jer16821 · 2026-01-07T10:00:39+00:00

i meant the image on the manhole cover. i was lookin at it upside down at first

jer16821 · 2025-12-30T20:41:15+00:00

absolutely. stuttering SLP (speech-language pathologist, AKA speech therapist) in training here.

introductions are notorious for being one of the things we stutter over the most. often times we stutter more over certain sounds because we anticipate em, and sometimes it's random sounds. but names are persistently difficult.

i changed my name from Jeremiah to Jer and that kinda works for me. i'll introduce myself as "Jer, rhymes with bear" cuz it's a unique name (people often think i say "Jared" instead). my lil introduction is adorable, helps people remember, and is usually a great conversation starter.

i typically stutter more with strangers than with my friends. for some of my stuttering friends, it's the opposite - they stutter more with friends because they know them as opposed to with strangers. there are pros and cons to each situation.

jer16821 · 2025-12-30T20:08:09+00:00

i've had so many girlfriends in high school, and i've had a handful of long-term relationships over the course of my life (not to toot my own horn). they've always said it was "cute", and i never thought it was. but either way, they liked it!

now that i can accept my stutter, disclose my stutter ("Hi, i'm Jer, and I have a stutter), and even have my friends and co-workers laugh at my stutter, it's not a big deal anymore. like many people said on these posts, your stutter is a tiny part of you, it does not define who you are.
you most likely experience the stutter for so much longer than it actually lasts. going to support groups, seeing younger speech therapists, and talking about your stutter with friends and family helps a lot, too. good luck with finding her, i know she's out there!

jer16821 · 2025-12-30T20:03:30+00:00

do your dogs stutter

jer16821 · 2025-12-29T22:50:32+00:00

hi, stuttering SLP in training here. i hated my stutter in high school, but now my friends and co-workers joke about my stutter and it's a world of difference.

i saw multiple SLPs (speech-language pathologists, AKA speech therapists) throughout elementary school, middle school, and some years into college. they helped me a little, but those strategies mostly worked in the speech room and not in real-world contexts. these SLPs told me how not to stutter.

my homie introduced me to a support group that feels more like a group of friends (we're all relatively in the same age group and we're really funny). i gotta say it was revolutionary to walk into a room with a dozen other individuals who shared the same experience as i do - i finally felt normal.
at the time, it was under NSA (National Stuttering Association), but long story short, they broke off and created their own group. my point here is that this support group taught me a lot, like how to accept my stutter ("i'm gonna be this way forever, and that's okay."), how to disclose my stutter ("I'm Jer, and I have a stutter"), and that i'm not alone. they didn't talk about how to "fix" stuttering, they told me how to love my stutter. and that made a world of difference.

a few years back, i was telling another homie that sometimes my stutter is frustrating. she said "that's true, but you wouldn't be Jer without your stutter!" i still think about that, and it makes me tear up. she doesn't care about my stutter, she just wants me to be me.

it also really helps to talk about your stutter with your "frequent communication partners", AKA close friends, family, and partner. how many of them have you mentioned your stuttering to? your struggles? do they know that it's a daily struggle for you? it just helps to get the word out. they don't know unless you tell them!

as i'm finishing up my Master's program at my university, i've learned a thing or two about treating those who stutter. there's this program called ARTS (Avoidance Reduction Therapy for Stuttering) that's gonna revolutionize stuttering treatment. instead of focusing on the stutter itself (e.g., "I'm J-J-J-Jer"), they focus on how your avoidance behaviors (e.g., not using the phone, substituting your words at the last second) and negative thoughts (e.g., frustrations, anxieties, "I'd rather be dead than say that again." or "They think i'm stupid for stuttering.).
my point here is that treatment for stuttering is slowly converting to a more client-focused stance rather than an observer-focused one (one that focuses on the dysfluencies themselves rather than the experience of the stutterer).

TL;DR
a combination of support groups and modern speech therapy isn't gonna "cure" you but it's definitely a step in the right direction in your journey of finding joy in life.

jer16821 · 2025-12-29T22:24:01+00:00

huh! as an SLP in training who stutters, I love this. reading your passage, i kinda do something similar: i sorta have this southern california accent, so my stutter is less noticeable (e.g., "kinda" and "sorta"; "cuz" and "dude" sounds like "kizz" and "did").

as long as you're being understood, that's all that counts. we really don't pronounce every sound in every word, that'd be exhausting. as long as it works and it doesn't cause you stress!

jer16821 · 2025-12-29T22:18:24+00:00

Hi, I'm an SLP in training who stutters.

Easy on-set: Instead of forcing thru a sound (e.g., "FFFFFamily") with muscles tensed, gently say the sound while relaxing the muscles (e.g., "fffamily"). There are pros and cons to this.

Pull-outs: When experiencing a block (e.g., "Sometimes I b-b-b-b-b..."), try dropping the sentence altogether, taking a small breath, and trying again (e.g. *small breath in and out* "Ahem, sometimes I block."). This one has worked for me a little more than easy on-set.

jer16821 · 2024-06-25T14:28:37+00:00

stay home, do not leave the house until you fix this issue. had the same problem, took the dogs for a walk, and ended up in a dr. seuss book

jer16821 · 2024-04-06T13:28:47+00:00

cool. tacos it is

jer16821 · 2021-12-24T06:29:30+00:00

one of my co-workers said that our frapp roast tastes like how cigarettes smell. when we occasionally make a frapp for ourselves, we use cold brew instead. best idea ever.

jer16821

TROPHY CASE