Stuttering is a communication disorder in which a person has trouble producing a normal flow of speech. It is characterized by repetition and prolongation of sounds that result in the interruption of speech.
According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorder(1), stuttering mostly occurs in children aged between 2 to 6 years. Approximately 75 percent of children recover from stuttering, but the remaining 25% struggle with it throughout their lifespan.
Stuttering that occurs when children are learning to communicate is referred to as developmental stuttering. But stuttering that occurs after a stroke, head trauma, or any other kind of brain injury is called neurogenic stuttering. In this kind of stuttering, the brain nerves experience difficulty in coordinating the formation and delivery of the speech.
Emotional trauma, anxiety, depression can also cause stuttering. It can result in the interruption of speech fluency, thereby making the person stutter.
Did You Know?
King George VI, who reigned from 1937 until his death in 1952, is among the prominent people who stuttered.
CURE 1: Home Remedies for Stuttering
1. Speech Therapy
Stuttering currently has no definitive cure or medication. However, intensive speech therapy can help people gain control over their speech.
Why use
Speech therapy does not eliminate stuttering altogether but teaches you ways to cope with stuttering. It makes you aware of your speech and teaches you to slow down and learn to notice patterns in your stuttering. In the initial stages, you may experience slow speech, but with practice, your speech may return to a normal pace.
How to use
Get in touch with a specialist who deals with stuttering and take therapy sessions at least 3-4 times a week until you notice a difference in your speech patterns.
[ Read: Music Therapy for Autism ]
2. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps those suffering from stuttering to cope with feelings of anxiety and tension. This therapy helps alter any negative and self-defeating thought patterns.
Why use
Cognitive therapy is a form of psychotherapy where a person is made aware of his thoughts and assumptions in order to understand the way he/she feels. It helps people who stutter as they are always worried about what to say and how people will react.
It is especially important to address and overcome the feelings of anxiety, as this will decrease the possibility of them stuttering. Studies(2) have shown that cognitive-behavioral therapy has helped people with stuttering and also helped in reducing anxiety.
How to use
You should take regular cognitive therapy sessions until you feel a difference in their approach towards speech and, ultimately, a difference in the way they talk.
[ Read: Behavioral Therapy for ADHD ]
3. Breath Control Exercises
Breathing from the chest tightens the laryngeal muscles, which can cause stuttering. Breath control exercises are known to help with the same.
Why use
Breath control exercises help in reducing the frequency and intensity of stuttering. In these exercises, the emphasis is on breathing from the diaphragm, instead of breathing from the chest.
How to use
Practice tactful breathing and breathing from the diaphragm on a daily basis. It will eventually help with stuttering and also lessen anxiety.
[ Read: Physical Activity in Children ]
CURE 2: How to Stop Stuttering with Supplements
1. Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 or Thiamine enables the body to use carbohydrates for energy. The body stores only a small amount of thiamine in the liver, and thus it is advised to include thiamine rich foods in your daily diets.
Why to use
Vitamin B1 or thiamine is known to reduce stress and anxiety, which in turn helps with stuttering. There are no concrete studies to prove this, but a lot of people who suffer from stuttering are known to include thiamine rich foods in their daily diets.
How to use
For meat-eaters, pork, beef, and eggs are excellent sources of Vitamin B1. For vegetarians, fruits and vegetables like cauliflower, orange, and asparagus are a great source. These foods can easily be incorporated into one’s diet.
[ Read: Vitamins for ADHD ]
2. Magnesium
Magnesium is known to increase immunity and energy levels of the body. It is responsible for a lot of bodily functions like managing blood sugar levels, balancing nerve and muscle functioning, etc.
Why use
Those taking Thiamine or Vitamin B1 for stuttering should also take magnesium because the continued inclusion of thiamine in one’s diet can make one deficient in magnesium.
How to use
Magnesium can be easily included in your daily diet with the help of magnesium-rich foods such as leafy vegetables, banana, avocado, and nuts.
Stuttering is a very common condition, especially in kids, and it is advisable that parents of kids who exhibit stuttering are mindful of the same and take necessary steps to manage it. There isn’t any cure for stuttering, but it can be handled well by various methods, as detailed above.
[ Read: Magnesium for ADHD Treatment ]
FAQs
1. Is stuttering a disability?
Yes, in most cases, stuttering is a disability and an impairment that has a major impact on your life. In some cases, it is a developmental phase and passes with time.
2. Is stuttering genetic?
Not all cases of stuttering are genetic. Some are also neurogenic or psychogenic
