Coping with stammering

I am a 31- year- old man, and have been stammering almost all my life.  Please enlighten me about this problem. Worried young man. Stammering and stuttering actually have the same meaning. It is a speech disorder in which the person repeats or prolongs words, syllables or phrases. The person with a stutter (or stammer) […]

I am a 31- year- old man, and have been stammering almost all my life.  Please enlighten me about this problem.

Worried young man.

Stammering and stuttering actually have the same meaning. It is a speech disorder in which the person repeats or prolongs words, syllables or phrases. The person with a stutter (or stammer) may also stop during speech and make no sound for certain syllables. People who stutter often find that stress and fatigue make it harder for them to talk flowingly, as well as situations in which they become self-conscious about speaking, such as public speaking or teaching. Most people who stutter find that their problem eases if they are relaxed.
What are the signs and symptoms of stuttering?
1. Problems starting a word, phrase or sentence.
2. Hesitation before  certain sounds have to be uttered.
3. Repeating a sound, word or syllable.
4. Certain speech sounds may be prolonged.
5. Speech may come out in spurts.
6. Words with certain sounds are substituted for others (circumlocution)
7. Rapid blinking (when trying to talk)
8. Trembling lips (when trying to talk)
9. Foot may tap (when trying to talk)
10. Trembling jaw (when trying to talk)
11. Face and/or upper body tighten up (when trying to talk)
12. Some may appear out of breath when talking.
13. Interjection, such as “uhm” used more frequently before attempting to utter certain sounds.
Some causes?
1.    Developmental stuttering – as children learn to speak they often stutter, especially early on when their speech and language skills are not developed enough to race along at the same speed as what they want to say. The majority of children experience fewer and fewer symptoms as this developmental stage progresses until they can speak flowingly.
2. Psychological factors – it used to be believed that the main reasons for long-term stuttering were psychological. Fortunately, this is not the case anymore. Psychological factors may make stuttering worse for people who stutter, such as stress, embarrassment, etc. But they are not generally seen as underlying long-term factors. In other words, anxiety, low self-esteem, nervousness, and stress therefore do not cause stuttering per se. Rather, they are the result of living with a stigmatized speech problem which can sometimes make symptoms worse.
What are the risk factors?
• Family history – approximately half of all children who have a stutter that persists beyond the developmental stage of language have a close family member who stutters. 
• Age when stutter starts – a child who starts stuttering before 3.5 years of age is less likely to be stuttering later on in life. The earlier the stuttering starts the less likely it is to continue long-term.
• Time since stuttering started – about three-quarters of all young children who stutter will stop doing so with one or two years without speech therapy. The longer the stuttering continues the more likely it is that the problem will become long-term without professional help (and even with professional help).
When to seek professional help
1. When the stuttering occurs more frequently.
2. When it is accompanied with tightness of the facial and upper body muscles.
3. When it causes emotional difficulties, such as fear of places or situations.
What is the treatment for stuttering?
A good evaluation (diagnosis) is vital as this determines what the best treatment might be.
Treatments for people who stutter tend to be aimed at teaching the person skills, strategies, and behaviours that help oral communication.