i have a neurological condition and it's so good to see emily advocating and spreading awareness through her own experiences. i admire her very much for opening up as well.
From personal experience of having a stutter most of my life, stuttering is a very strange phenomenon. While people would say it's neurological and possibly hereditary condition... I don't entirely agree. Mine was always entirely mood and situationally dependent and I see it as a behavioural, habitual issue which can absolutely be broken and corrected with the right methods. If I was in a great mood, confident and relaxed (or high/drunk!), it 100% disappeared. If I was nervous, anxious etc it was absolutely debilitating. You absolutely can get rid of it with consistency, bravery and daily hard work to correct those patterns and behaviours... And you do not have to embrace it as part of who you are... Quite the opposite. You can say "enough is enough, this is NOT who I am and I do NOT accept this part of me any longer", and do the hard work. The problem, is that most stutterers avoid speaking and avoid speaking in difficult scenarios. Speaking is a physical skill like literally anything else, as are the techniques to break a stutter... But when you avoid practicing something because it's scary and humiliating, you never get good at it, and so it's a vicious cycle! The key is being brave enough to think "f*ck you, this is my life and I don't care what you think of me", and just speak as much as possible. Try to detach yourself and treat it like any physical activity. You correct bad habits by replacing them with new positive ones and that takes a lot of practice. Anatomically, very often it is anxiety which causes the diaphragm to shake out of sync which causes stuttering. Breathing and breath control is everything. When you learn to speak using the same diaphragm techniques as used in singing, your stutter 90% goes away immediately. Interestingly, most stutterers do not stutter when they talk to themselves, sing, shout, use another accent or pretend to be another person i.e. acting. I think this is clear evidence that it is tied to your own identity, learnt behavioural patterns and outwardly viewing yourself as a stutterer in the eyes of others. When you change your personality, how you view yourself and the way you speak, it goes away. A fantastic technique is this... Think of a public person who you love the way they speak and the sound of their voice. Turn it into a character which you perform. Learn to do an impression of them and record yourself practicing that impression every day. That 'character' will eventually become second nature, you'll be proud of the way you sound and I guarantee you will rarely stutter while doing it. Now you might feel awkward using that voice in front of people who know you, but you can switch in and out of it to negotiate tricky words. It's such an effective tool for speaking to strangers or professional, pressurised situations. Hitting the gym, changing your outward public image, feeling confident and positive about a "new you" can be transformative also. I know 99.9% of people have zero interest in what I just wrote and don't care, but for anyone who does suffer from a stutter... I hope there's something in there you haven't thought about or tried. You do NOT have to stutter, embrace it, coddle yourself or accept it as part of who you are... Getting angry and telling your stutter to go f*ck itself is pretty effective. Do the work, be brave, stop caring what others think or fearing judgement and you CAN get past it. Much love and good luck to you.
To be fair, what you described IS neurological. Mood and situational dependencies are your brain sending signals to the rest of your body that cause the disconnect. I can’t say that I have a “stutter” per se, but I’ve always struggled to find the words in stressful situations and have had some horrifying moments while doing presentations where my body physically won’t let me get words out. It’s debilitating and embarrassing. I completely agree with you that practice, repetition, and setting your mind to it can absolutely help, but I think it’s important to see the body as a whole system (which you can exercise to improve upon). So while it is undoubtedly neurological and could certainly be hereditary, those things don’t mean you have to be stuck with it forever. Anyway, likewise much love and luck. Hopefully these different perspectives are able to help someone with these struggles
Hey, _I_ care!! Thank you so much. I honestly really needed to hear this. Your words about how if you have a stutter, you need to practice, really rings true with me. I avoid speaking in many situations because I stutter and I feel ashamed of it. But how the heck would I get better if I don't practice?? I remember the times I practiced a lot before social situations and I find that it's helped me a lot. Even if I still stutter and don't speak as good as I wanted to, I still improved because I practiced! But recently, I had friends who made me feel ashamed of myself so I started becoming more silent and stuff. You know, the usual. But I'm reminded because of you that I do not have to stay this way forever and I can change, but I must be willing to work for it. So thank you, truly.
Beautifully said Emily. I too suffered in silence because of stuttering, but earlier this year, I found a brilliant book, How to Stop Stuttering and Love Speaking by Lee Lovett and it completely changed my life. The book and his WSSA program helped me immensely to the point where I am now an eloquent speaker like Emily Blunt.
My dad is 78 now and has had a profound stutter throughout his life - as his daughter, I have had a slight one too for all my 48 years in which I could speak. Both of us are writers and creators to perhaps shift our neuro pathways. Dad also became a trainer and does motivational speeches, of which I'm really proud. It's true about the feeling of an imposter living within - similar to many neurological issues - and we all have to just allow people to be as they are, give space and time ... and listen.
I've stuttered for as long as I could speak and although it's much better now, this brought me to tears. "Don't finish their sentences." Thank you, Emily. Thank you.
What an amazing person she is! I wish I could have a chat with her to ask questions that I've always had about stuttering. For example, is it true that children who stutter will speak to animals fluently? Dunno.
Wow that’s actually an interesting question. I’ve had a lifelong stutter that will sometimes come and go intermittently but I honestly cannot think of a time I had trouble talking to a pet or animal. Crazy to think about
i have a neurological condition and it's so good to see emily advocating and spreading awareness through her own experiences. i admire her very much for opening up as well.
As a Person Who also has a speech impediment a stutter I resonate with this so much. So glad someone of Emily’s stature spoke on this matter.
From personal experience of having a stutter most of my life, stuttering is a very strange phenomenon. While people would say it's neurological and possibly hereditary condition... I don't entirely agree. Mine was always entirely mood and situationally dependent and I see it as a behavioural, habitual issue which can absolutely be broken and corrected with the right methods. If I was in a great mood, confident and relaxed (or high/drunk!), it 100% disappeared. If I was nervous, anxious etc it was absolutely debilitating.
You absolutely can get rid of it with consistency, bravery and daily hard work to correct those patterns and behaviours... And you do not have to embrace it as part of who you are... Quite the opposite. You can say "enough is enough, this is NOT who I am and I do NOT accept this part of me any longer", and do the hard work.
The problem, is that most stutterers avoid speaking and avoid speaking in difficult scenarios. Speaking is a physical skill like literally anything else, as are the techniques to break a stutter... But when you avoid practicing something because it's scary and humiliating, you never get good at it, and so it's a vicious cycle! The key is being brave enough to think "f*ck you, this is my life and I don't care what you think of me", and just speak as much as possible. Try to detach yourself and treat it like any physical activity. You correct bad habits by replacing them with new positive ones and that takes a lot of practice.
Anatomically, very often it is anxiety which causes the diaphragm to shake out of sync which causes stuttering. Breathing and breath control is everything. When you learn to speak using the same diaphragm techniques as used in singing, your stutter 90% goes away immediately.
Interestingly, most stutterers do not stutter when they talk to themselves, sing, shout, use another accent or pretend to be another person i.e. acting.
I think this is clear evidence that it is tied to your own identity, learnt behavioural patterns and outwardly viewing yourself as a stutterer in the eyes of others. When you change your personality, how you view yourself and the way you speak, it goes away.
A fantastic technique is this... Think of a public person who you love the way they speak and the sound of their voice. Turn it into a character which you perform. Learn to do an impression of them and record yourself practicing that impression every day. That 'character' will eventually become second nature, you'll be proud of the way you sound and I guarantee you will rarely stutter while doing it.
Now you might feel awkward using that voice in front of people who know you, but you can switch in and out of it to negotiate tricky words. It's such an effective tool for speaking to strangers or professional, pressurised situations.
Hitting the gym, changing your outward public image, feeling confident and positive about a "new you" can be transformative also.
I know 99.9% of people have zero interest in what I just wrote and don't care, but for anyone who does suffer from a stutter... I hope there's something in there you haven't thought about or tried. You do NOT have to stutter, embrace it, coddle yourself or accept it as part of who you are... Getting angry and telling your stutter to go f*ck itself is pretty effective. Do the work, be brave, stop caring what others think or fearing judgement and you CAN get past it.
Much love and good luck to you.
To be fair, what you described IS neurological. Mood and situational dependencies are your brain sending signals to the rest of your body that cause the disconnect. I can’t say that I have a “stutter” per se, but I’ve always struggled to find the words in stressful situations and have had some horrifying moments while doing presentations where my body physically won’t let me get words out. It’s debilitating and embarrassing. I completely agree with you that practice, repetition, and setting your mind to it can absolutely help, but I think it’s important to see the body as a whole system (which you can exercise to improve upon). So while it is undoubtedly neurological and could certainly be hereditary, those things don’t mean you have to be stuck with it forever.
Anyway, likewise much love and luck. Hopefully these different perspectives are able to help someone with these struggles
Thanks mate this was helpful
Hey, _I_ care!! Thank you so much. I honestly really needed to hear this. Your words about how if you have a stutter, you need to practice, really rings true with me. I avoid speaking in many situations because I stutter and I feel ashamed of it. But how the heck would I get better if I don't practice??
I remember the times I practiced a lot before social situations and I find that it's helped me a lot. Even if I still stutter and don't speak as good as I wanted to, I still improved because I practiced! But recently, I had friends who made me feel ashamed of myself so I started becoming more silent and stuff. You know, the usual. But I'm reminded because of you that I do not have to stay this way forever and I can change, but I must be willing to work for it. So thank you, truly.
Thank you Paul. Do you think I can reach out to you for guidance?
Thanks Paul!
Beautifully said Emily. I too suffered in silence because of stuttering, but earlier this year, I found a brilliant book, How to Stop Stuttering and Love Speaking by Lee Lovett and it completely changed my life. The book and his WSSA program helped me immensely to the point where I am now an eloquent speaker like Emily Blunt.
Thank you for this my Youngest son is 25, he is a life long stammer awareness helps the world support
Love her so much ~ thank you for sharing Emily Blunt
As a lifelong stutterer, this really touches me. How wonderful to see a celebrity articulate what we stutterers KNOW.
My dad is 78 now and has had a profound stutter throughout his life - as his daughter, I have had a slight one too for all my 48 years in which I could speak. Both of us are writers and creators to perhaps shift our neuro pathways. Dad also became a trainer and does motivational speeches, of which I'm really proud. It's true about the feeling of an imposter living within - similar to many neurological issues - and we all have to just allow people to be as they are, give space and time ... and listen.
I've stuttered for as long as I could speak and although it's much better now, this brought me to tears.
"Don't finish their sentences."
Thank you, Emily. Thank you.
Thank you so much❤
Thank you thank you thank you
Congratulations Emily Blunt!
Thank you Emily
Using glasses now, Emily! Getting older like me :)
Emily❤
Where did she get the frames they are perfect!
What an amazing person she is! I wish I could have a chat with her to ask questions that I've always had about stuttering. For example, is it true that children who stutter will speak to animals fluently? Dunno.
Wow that’s actually an interesting question. I’ve had a lifelong stutter that will sometimes come and go intermittently but I honestly cannot think of a time I had trouble talking to a pet or animal. Crazy to think about
this was so beautiful
Say hi to Jim Halpert 😂
Epstein list . anyone's???