My long journey:
My name is Seva, I was born in 1990 in Izhevsk. I want to tell everyone about the problem that I faced from my earliest childhood, and I found a solution almost 19 years after my birth.
I stuttered from the very first moment I started speaking. The first time stuttering started to bother me was closer to school age, when I started to think about what other people thought about me (if only someone could help me fully then).
I don't remember exactly, but my mother said that already in kindergarten I went to a speech therapist, then I didn't even think about what stuttering was and why I didn't speak like everyone else (It's strange that everyone cares about it, but I don't - childish thinking =) easy and simple). Then various fortune tellers, grandmothers with brooms and some strange prayers - in other words, we traveled all over Udmurtia on the advice of some friends and acquaintances who themselves did not know the essence of the problem, but simply sincerely wanted to help.
I was growing up: I was learning about the world around me, enjoying life, playing, having fun, being happy, I had no problems. Mom, dad, friends, they were all there and I felt their warmth and care, but soon everything changed. School - that was the hardest blow. I began to feel that something was wrong, people were reluctant to communicate with me, there were fewer friends. All the kids learned poems and went out to recite them in front of the class - I also wanted to do this, I wanted, you could say with all my might, to show everyone that I can, I can speak better than anyone, I learned a poem specifically for this. But nothing worked. And, yes, the reading speed that is usually tested in elementary grades - the least of all - it is offensive and even shameful, especially when they say the results for the whole class. Year after year, and life was filled with a gray shade of general disappointment.
School life continued 5th grade change of scenery new school new friends teachers everything was very difficult. Even poems, I already began to tell, to the literature teacher, staying after school, because there was not enough time to listen to me in class, and the teacher found a good way out. These exams - how I hated them who would have known, when you sit in front of the teacher you know everything, but you are silent, silent like a partisan during interrogation, because you yourself are afraid to speak. What helped me not to lose heart at all - (to be honest, thoughts of suicide also often dedicated to me, but I drove them away because I knew how important I was to my parents and that my best friend Fedya I can talk to him and they accept me as I am) sports I started doing athletics - running. At 10 - 11, in addition to running, I was fond of volleyball and basketball and became the best player of the School of Basketball. First League. Happiness, sports gave me many positive emotions. First love, big disappointments, final exams, entrance exams, transition from school life and the beginning of training at Udmurt State University at the Pedagogical Faculty of Physical Education. The first year again new acquaintances, exams and since the faculty is pedagogical, the first own trial lesson in a group in the role of a future teacher. If at school I had to pass exams by reciting poems, then here - complete horror, I also had to command my classmates. The second year, yes, the picture does not become brighter, but only gets covered with a black layer again and again. The beginning of practice in kindergarten !!!!!!! How I - stuttering in kindergarten to manage children, I will not be able, what to do, how - how will I do it, it is impossible - these are the thoughts that surrounded me then. Stuttering, but playing a role in front of children like in the theater - it was not so noticeable (in general, when I spoke expressively, I almost did not stutter). The exams for the summer session came and there for one of the exams (many factors influenced this: problems in the family, disagreements with friends, high emotional tension from the hustle and bustle of the session, etc.) I pulled out the exam ticket, prepared, and although I always prepare and for me this is not a problem, I sat only waiting for when I would go to answer. My throat was dry, my thoughts were confused, I looked at my classmates and worried even more, I knew that now they would have to endure, but listen to me. I sat down in front of the teacher, began to tell (I knew that this was my last and most difficult exam and my scholarship depended on it) hesitation after hesitation, I could not get out of my head so many thoughts that visited it with each new second. I never retreated even when in my first year, participating in the 800 meter race, I tore a muscle in my thigh in the last hundred meters, I still ran and did not win the competition, but came in third (not a description of further actions for anyone, but rather a warning "Sometimes you need to retreat" (tension should not be overcome by tension - one of the main phrases for getting rid of stuttering) stuttering =) because the consequences were not so good 3 months of treatment and rehabilitation). And so I sit in front of the teacher and answer. Gradually I feel how my chest itself no longer moves, I can not take a breath, I suffocate, and at the same time I try to speak (This can be compared to squeezing the last remnants of cream from a tube) What I really wanted at that moment was just for it all to end. I answered all the questions, got 5 - excellent. I left the classroom and realized that I wanted a 5-year scholarship, but I was not happy, I did not even smile, rather, something disappointed me and I could not remove it from my memory. I came home, went in, sat on the sofa, opened my grade book and at that moment I realized that I wanted to die, yes, exactly die, I accomplished all my goals, came to the finish line, passed the exams for the scholarship, finished the 2nd year. In the summer of 2008: I became indifferent to everything, I went with friends to night clubs, drank alcoholic beverages, had fun, began to live only now, today and I did not care about everything around me, including myself; I wanted happiness and received it in full.
Summer went by: one summer morning in June I got up after another party, looked in the mirror and realized that I had become exactly what I never wanted to become! I realized that this was no longer me, but I could still fight. For two days I did not leave the house and did not answer calls from new friends who persistently called and wrote text messages about another night plan. Then I said to myself once and for all the word "no" and decided that only I create my destiny and no one else.
Finding a solution to the problem:
I sat at the computer for more than a week (of course, not all the time, I was doing other things, but for about 3 hours a day for sure) went to various websites on the Internet and looked for a cure for stuttering.
I studied many methods and entire techniques. I tried various computer programs for treatment, etc., which are currently relevant. There were some effects, but most likely only a small improvement and not the cessation of stuttering. I found various treatment groups on the Internet, but they cost large sums, I immediately rejected them, and stuttering people wrote on forums on the Internet that there was no sense in them..
I want to tell you about the most famous methods: I will NOT say that they are very effective, but there are decent advantages (although I have not been there myself), but I have read about their methods and I understand that the people are smart. ("If you do not mind the money and you do not want to correct your speech yourself + get a computer voice like Robocop =) you are welcome and they will do everything for you for money, well, really, if you get into the 80 percent as they say who will be completely cured and turn into Terminator 5" - a joke, but true) In fact, I do not advise you to contact them, but their website (http://dictor.ru/) is worth looking at and reading the book "Stuttering NET" you will find a lot of useful information for yourself.
I will add on my own - there are no pills for treating stuttering, they only hide it for a while, and harm the entire body (You can compare it with alcohol or smoking or drugs)
How I corrected my speech: I believe that there are two big links that are connected into one, these are:
1. The inner world of a stutterer - the brain: thoughts, feelings, memory, imagination, and much more (which is sometimes difficult to cope with)
2. External factors, namely the human body: development of the respiratory muscles - since they are poorly developed in a stutterer; speech muscles - for the correct positioning of the tongue when forming sounds and putting them together into words, muscles of the pharynx, neck, and the development of the vocal cords is important.
Solutions:
Сужу лично по себе – Я начал говорить лучше, выразительнее, красивее, чётче, научился играть голосом и оставаться собой, без этого от заикания не избавиться.
1. I started everything with breathing exercises “The System of Therapeutic Breathing by A.N. Strelnikova”,
(In general, all breathing exercises will be beneficial; Swimming in the pool helps well, it relaxes and immediately trains the respiratory system - I know because I go to the pool every Thursday) I mainly did two exercises "Pump" and "Hug your shoulders" for 15-20 minutes in the morning and in the evening on weekends and during the day. I did them for about 4 months every day without breaks, otherwise there will be no effect.
For myself, I came up with such a game - called "As much as possible" I did the exercises according to Strelnikova; every day and kept count, wrote down in a notebook - how many days in a row I could do the exercise. In total, I did breathing exercises for about 4 full months almost every day and now I continue to do it, but less often. My game record was 40 days, that's it! Comrades stuttering - who can beat my record! =)
Then it so happened that I got sick - I overtrained during training (I do track and field, running, sometimes it happens) my blood pressure jumped. I came to the Sports Dispensary, where they examined me and prescribed medicine to lower my blood pressure. One doctor I know, her name is Lyudmila Valentinovna, this is the doctor who does the examination, she knew my stuttering problem and advised me to see her speech therapist friend (later I found out that her daughter also had speech problems, but she was cured in childhood, at school age). At first, I refused help, because I saw that the results of breathing exercises were obvious (the period was already 3 months from the beginning of therapeutic exercises according to Strelnikova). I already felt that I was stuttering, I became less and wanted to achieve everything myself (I'm just very stubborn if I do something, then to the end, and as a child I already went to a speech therapist, but there was no result), how did she persuade me then? I don't know myself! =). Now I am very grateful to this woman, because without her I probably would not have been able to get rid of stuttering. I came to a consultation with a speech therapist, the classes were at her home. We did various exercises, at the end of the class the speech therapist said - "Well, his form of stuttering is not that severe." At that moment I thought to myself - "If she had heard me 3-4 months ago, she would have been surprised when I could not say a single word without hesitation during the exam."
2. I went to a speech therapist twice a week, on Monday and Friday. Along with this, as instructed by the speech therapist, I had a massage on my back and collar area (the massage course was 10 times) along with this, at home my mother did acupressure for stuttering, there is such a thing, read the literature, find it yourself (Asian, Chinese people have been very successful in medicine, from one source I heard that in this direction they have gone 100 years ahead, unlike the rest of the world, they invented yoga, acupuncture and much more; the use of yoga techniques is very helpful in overcoming the psychological barrier between stuttering and normal speech).
3. The exercises that I did with the speech therapist were aimed at developing the muscles: neck, tongue, facial muscles, also developing the vocal cords - with rhetoric and special educational books (A stutterer should develop the habit of speaking correctly, even better, more clearly, more beautifully than other people) Here is a certain minimum for the speech muscles:
Exercises for the tongue and lips
Static exercises for the tongue
"CHICKLES". The mouth is wide open, the tongue lies calmly in the oral cavity.
"SPADETAIL". The mouth is open, the wide relaxed tongue lies on the lower lip.
"CUP". The mouth is wide open. The front and side edges of the broad tongue are raised, but do not touch the teeth.
"NEEDLE", "ARROW", "STING". The mouth is open. The narrow, tense tongue is pushed forward.
"HILL", "KITTY IS ANGRY". The mouth is open. The tip of the tongue rests against the lower incisors, the back of the tongue is raised up.
"STRAW". The mouth is open. The lateral edges of the tongue are bent upwards.
"ГРИБОК". Рот открыт. Язык присосать к нёбу.
Dynamic exercises for the tongue
"CLOCK", "PENDULUM". The mouth is slightly open. The lips are stretched into a smile. The tip of the narrow tongue alternately reaches to the corners of the mouth as the teacher counts.
"SNAKE". The mouth is wide open. The narrow tongue is pushed forward strongly and retracted into the depths of the mouth.
"SWING". The mouth is open. The tense tongue reaches towards the nose and chin, or towards the upper and lower incisors.
"FOOTBALL", "HIDE THE CANDY". The mouth is closed. The tense tongue is pressed first against one cheek, then against the other.
"BRUSH YOUR TEETH". Close your mouth. Make a circular motion with your tongue between your lips and teeth.
"COIL". The mouth is open. The tip of the tongue rests against the lower incisors, the lateral edges are pressed against the upper molars. The wide tongue "rolls out" forward and is retracted into the depths of the mouth.
"HORSEY". Press the tongue to the palate, click the tongue. Click slowly and loudly, stretch the hyoid ligament.
"ACCORDION". Open your mouth. Suck your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Without lifting your tongue from the roof of your mouth, pull your lower jaw down hard.
"PAINTER". The mouth is open. With the wide tip of the tongue, like a brush, we move from the upper incisors to the soft palate.
"DELICIOUS JAM". Open your mouth. Lick your upper lip with a wide tongue and put your tongue deep into your mouth.
"LET'S LICK OUR LIPS". Mouth slightly open. Lick first the upper lip, then the lower lip in a circle.
Lip Exercises
"SMILE". Keeping the lips in a smile. The teeth are not visible.
"FENCE". Upper and lower teeth are exposed. Lips are stretched into a smile.
"STRAW". Pulling the lips forward into a long tube.
"PROBOSCUS". Extending closed lips forward.
"BUBLIK", "HOORE". Teeth are closed. Lips are rounded and slightly extended forward. Upper and lower incisors are visible.
"FENCE" - "BUBLIC"; "SMILE" - "PROBOCK" - alternating lip positions.
"RABBIT". Teeth are closed. Upper lip is raised and exposes upper incisors.
With a speech therapist, we often retell texts (I read the text, trying to speak beautifully with expression, emphasizing each word, practicing intonation manners, playing with my speech, and then trying to retell it beautifully). For such independent studies without a speech therapist, I want to recommend the book "Correction of stuttering in games and trainings" by I.A. Povarov, But be sure to ask: a friend, mom, dad - retell the stories to them and also do the exercises so that they listen to you (the psychology of communication, because I, being alone with myself, talking to myself, never stuttered or very rarely). As for the book - it is written very skillfully and competently.
With a speech therapist, we did breathing exercises, such as, for example: Blowing out candles to sounds (while pronouncing the sound, exhale) blowing out candles at a distance of a meter from them, at first neither one nor the other worked. I came across a very - excellent speech therapist and I am sincerely grateful to her for helping me solve my problem =).
What I realized on the way to solving it:
1. That without a solid foundation: breathing and development of speech muscles, nothing would have worked. As I understood it - my tongue was working poorly, I could not perform elementary tasks like "Needle", "Tube", "Cup" and many others. In addition, I took a mirror, sat my sister in front of me, she has excellent speech, watched how she speaks, how she positions her lips and tongue when she pronounces sounds and words, and then, looking in the mirror, I tried to repeat the same - why? Why? To develop a habit (skill). I will explain later.
2. Psychology: I came up with a couple of rules for myself: I can allow myself a pause in a sentence, even in a phrase; when starting a conversation, do not inhale, as they write in many books, but exhale and the diaphragm will take in air itself; I began to avoid a monotonous voice, because the interlocutor gets bored, and you yourself begin to stutter; I began to think over my statements - I already knew exactly what I would say next. I came up with a lot of rules now I can’t remember them all. =)
Now I will tell you why psychology and brain activity, our body and its physiology, have such a strong influence on stuttering.
1. Try to raise your hand in front of you and order it to move up and down at the same time. HA will not work. Try to fully concentrate on two things, objects (thoughts) at the same time, for example: about the monitor that is on the table and the computer mouse. HA again did not work and it will not work for any person, you can only fully concentrate your attention on one object, perform only one action with your body - tongue, and what if the tongue does not know how to do this? - how should it do this. People cannot clearly pronounce the letter R, they simply do not know how to do this.
Why? Why? I sat and copied the movements of my sister's lips and tongue? Answer:
Learning any new activity goes like this: first, a skill is formed, then a habit. Skill is the ability to perform any activity based on knowledge of this activity, experience.
Skill is an ability that has been brought to the point of automatism.
2. Try to clench your fist with all your might - the most persistent ones will hold it for 2 minutes. Here's your physiology - try to tense the muscles of your neck, tongue, and vocal cords. Everyone knows that a concrete slab is heavy, you can't lift it HA, but a stutterer doesn't know, he tenses his muscles with all his might trying to pronounce the words - This is not right - for muscles to work well and for a long time, the phase of tension should be replaced by a phase of relaxation, and not constant tension after tension.
Conclusion: Stuttering can be transmitted to a person's brain memory via DNA, by inheritance, like a tendency to something, and can also appear in the case of brain injuries: for example, at birth, this means that files called "Beautiful speech" have been erased from memory. I understood a lot of things that I did not understand before, now I speak perfectly, and at the same time I can force myself to stutter, because I have formed 2 habits and I can use either =) But of course I prefer not to stutter =). Proverb: "You can't understand a wolf - without being in his skin" =) Just don't think that my sister is a wolf =).
Bye everyone! Best regards, Seva!