I have talked to a few PWS about recovering from stuttering. I once read about a man who called himself a recovered or recovering stutterer. Then, in an interview with Pam Mertz, a wonderful lady who stutters herself and has her own blog, when she asked me why I got into Speech Language Pathology, I told her I wanted to help children or adults who stutter accept and recover from their stuttering. She then asked me what I meant by "recover," and I told her that I think one can recover from stuttering by coming to the point in their lives where they can accept their stutter and who they are as a person who stutters. Later, in a skype chat with fellow PWS, one man told me that in the medical field "recover" refers to the state of being that one has overcome or regained full functioning or even was cured from a disease or disability that was inflicting them. Thus, he concluded that since there is no cure for stuttering, a PWS cannot recover from stuttering. This fellow PWS made a good point, and I am beginning to reconsider my thoughts on this topic. What does the term "recover" really mean? Does it mean that you become fluent? Or could it just mean that you have come to the state of mind that you completely accept yourself and your stutter and are thus able to better manage your stutter, your behaviors, thoughts, and emotions?
I welcome any comments on this topic, as I am very interested in it.
Until next time.... Thanks!
I think we all too often cast stuttering in terms of a battle -- as something to be overcome, as something to recover from, etc. For something that has no "cure," the conversation must be recast. So too must the semantic implications of the language we use to describe the disorder: recovery/heal/overcoming/defeat/vanquish
ReplyDeleteHi Christine!
ReplyDeleteAnother very insightful and very philosophical question you have posted here. The question of whether anyone can really "recover" from stuttering is definitely one that's challenging. I have to admit, I have never heard of anyone "recovering" from stuttering. You can certainly be a "recovering alcoholic," which I learned of this term by attending an AA meeting for a college class on alcoholism as a research project. Someone who is an alcoholic never sees themselves as "cured," but rather "reformed" or "recovering." When I do public speaking, I always stress that stuttering will always be a part of me, but that every year that part seems to shrink a little bit. For the longest time when I was in high school and college, I would often be labeled as "Steven the Stutterer," so I would take on that identity because that is how people knew me. But ever since, I had to unlearn everything and know I am a person who stutters. If someone wants to say they are a stutterer, that is all right too. There really is no right or wrong answer.
I believe that everyone who stutters must undertake their own journey of self-acceptance and ultimately we get to a point where we are comfortable with our stutter. We may be comfortable in one area, but not in others. But sooner or later, we all get to a level point where all falls into place.
This was a great post...you are writing very well and it's spoken from your heart!