Stuttering: An Internal Dialogue

By Elora Rush

Stuttering affects about 1% of the total population. But unlike some other disorders, for many people, it can be overcome with practice and determination. And like any other disorder, it comes with its own set of experiences and can teach us a lot about ourselves and about life. 

 

Its interesting that seemingly common tales of stuttering can actually be an inspiration for many people throughout the world. It has been seen time and again, that sharing can be an effective way to bridge gaps between nations and countries; and how one story at one corner of the world can be an inspiration to another at the other corner. This novel is a unique step in that direction - common tales woven in a fabric of story telling.
 

As a life coach, I often come across amazing and uplifting stories of overcoming significant physical and mental blocks. When I met Alexa (yes - unfortunately that's her name. No wonder she decided to go with Siri) who had overcome stuttering after years of facing ridicule, I was sure I would be a witness to such a story. Little did I understand the depth of mental and emotional challenge that accompanies stuttering and the endurance that is required to get over it. 

 

This book has been inspired by such stories. 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Luminos Life
• Release date: Apr 5, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393183518

Book preview

Prologue

As a life coach, I often come across amazing and uplifting stories of overcoming significant physical and mental blocks. When I met Alexa (yes - unfortunately that's her name. No wonder she decided to go with Siri) who had overcome stuttering after years of facing ridicule, I was sure I would be a witness to such a story. Little did I understand the depth of mental and emotional challenge that accompanies stuttering and the endurance that is required to get over it.

Stuttering has many causes - often the result of a mental trauma or a stroke. Often it is a result of a mental block that just needs to be overcome through consistent training of the mind. Alexa had gone through an year of intense speech therapy and overcome nearly all of her stuttering. She went through her story in detail, often leading me to ask whether she could be my life coach rather than the other way round.

I asked her if I could use her story in a book. She enthusiastically agreed. Then Alexa referred me to other people who had also gone through similar experiences and I began to understand their journey towards fluency.

Another of my client was Max (name changed). Max gave me a few excerpts from his speech therapy journal. A few comments from him: "I had a stammer. I wanted to get rid of it, it did not

and fear its onslaught.

I was somewhere in between once – in a day or in a sentence.

At an age of 22, I went through a change, a change that not only gave me a chance to rediscover who I was, but also start dreaming again – without the boundaries that I had set for myself in my dreams. I started getting over my stutter. Slowly. Steadily.

As I went through my speech therapy, I realized I was also learning life lessons. Lessons that are now a foundation for my life."

This book has been inspired by such stories.

But what will you get from this novel?

I know that some of you would be expecting some lessons- do’s and don’ts for curing stammering. Some of you, who have had the patience to read up till this line would be expecting some advises on the pros and cons of speech therapy; and some of you would be wondering what I have to say in the next hundred pages – if I have already mentioned stuttering and speech therapy.

So let’s get over with what you cannot expect in this novel. And to get to what you can expect, read on. 

This book does not give a cure for stammering, or for any other issue that you might be ashamed of or planning to change. This book is a journey that my clients went through, as they tried to break out of the loop of sympathy and self-pity; leading to anger and frustration and then the start of the loop again. This is a story of their internal dialogue.

Questions like: Why did this happen to me? What do I do about it? How did I go about my change? etc. etc. etc.

It is possible that many of you would be in different stages of your own quest for a new beginning when you got hold of this book. If this story helps you recognize your internal dialogue and help you speed up the process, it would be a good enough reward for my effort.

Written as a conversation between a person's Mind and Voice, this book opens up that internal dialogue when a block or stutter occurs. What happens before, during or after a stammer. What did my courageous clients do to understand that dialogue.

You will read about internal struggles, frustrations, laziness or desperation – and most importantly, the times when many of them just wanted to give up. Yet they persevered.

And I hope that, after reading this book, you would be encouraged to start and continue on your own journey towards fluency.

Elora Rush

Flashback

The alarm clock cried its throat hoarse as its hour hand stuck a roman numeral on the face of the clock.

I lazily took my hand out to press the snooze button once again.

But before my hand could strike that red shinning button, my eye happened to glance at the time.

8:00 AM

I was one of those nocturnal fellows who could not get up early. Whether I went to sleep at nine at night or six in the morning; I could never get up before eight.

Once again – it was going to be race against time. With the city terminal bus arriving exactly 29 minutes later.

And I had precisely 19 activities to finish – starting from jumping from my bed – to locking my front door before running down the stairs.

Nearly sixty Seconds for each one.

And that’s how my life starts. Each and every day.

I have been rushing through life. Metaphorically and literally. Like today, when I rushed down the good old stirs, with no patience for the elevator. Running to the bus stop just in time. Having the exact change available so I don't have to converse with the driver more than the traditional smile.

Life has just been going on – fast in its pace, yet not moving. So many people to speak to. So many dreams to achieve. But not enough courage to do what is needed.

Like today - when I reached the bus stop just in time to hop into the city terminal bus. And from my seat, I had a lovely view of my companion of every day at the same time – a lovely girl who lived about 2 blocks away from mine.

And I sighed.

Inside somewhere .. between the two hundred and six bones and the millions of muscles in the body, were two characters – discussing the last few years of my life. They