Daily success stories

[Gábor]

Thanks, John! 🙂

It’s funny because my speech is still a bit hesitant (maybe sometimes even perceived as “speech-disabled”) when I’m talking to family members. But talking to strangers online is no big deal.

[Doug Nelson]

Fantastic news Gabor. I know it makes you feel good. You can remember this in your memory bank and it will help erase the bad ones of dysfluency.
Good job
Doug

[Anonymous]

Gabor, you are an inspiration to so many PWS out there!!! I am so proud of you for attending an online meeting and ADMITTING that you did not appear speech disabled!!!

Do you have any tips for how you manged to get through this online meeting for any PWS out there?

[Gábor]

Thank you! 🙂

I think I forgot about the other participants and I just spoke as if I were alone (while using crutches, mostly crutch #13, spontaneous speaking, crutch #10, word linkage and crutch #4, inserting an alternate sound, e.g. humming).

And the first time is always the hardest, then the fear slowly fades away. I has the same experience during SAM meetings. At first, it’s stressful to talk, but after awhile it’s just natural.

[Gábor]

I had a HUGE speech success today.

I went to my annual occupation health examination (I don’t know the exact name in English), and since I started my job, it was written on my certification paper, that “a job role that requires good verbal communication skills is not recommended”. Today I went to the examination again, talked to the doctors a little bit, then one of them finally asked me about this. She was very nice and reluctant to ask this out of politeness, but also a bit confused, since she told me that I didn’t appear speech-disabled at all (“maybe you were just anxious the last time”). I told them that I actually stuttered but I worked on it and it’s not a problem anymore. So needless to say, they deleted that comment from my certificate.

[Amine]

Hi Gabor,

Always inspiring to hear this kind of news 🙂 Way to go !

Just a quick question : what helped you the most to transform your way of speaking and to get gradually better in difficult situations ?

Amine

[Gábor]

Hi, I think that practicing in safe situations, e.g. reading aloud alone and also private coaching sessions (which have a tremendous value, since someone else is also rooting for you and believes in you), helped me to slowly change my self-identity from a PWS to a PWSS.

You should constantly expand your comfort zone, too, but only gradually and with great caution. I also celebrate even my smallest victories (that’s why I opened this topic in the past), while not focusing on my speech-related “accidents”. I learn from them, examine what went wrong and how could I improve next time, then try to quickly forget them.

[Adam Playfoot]

This is a great thread Gabor. So far since I learned crutch 4 I haven’t blocked on my name ONCE since taking the program. THat is my biggest success to date. I have trouble with vowels and find that linking words or using crutch 4 right before a vowel (like my name) really helps and it has lead to 100% success so far so I am extremely pleased with that, that is a success everyday I have to say my name.

[Javier]

This is fantastic, guys!!

[Adam Playfoot]

Speech success today. Did a job interview and absolutely crushed it. It was the first time that I had courageously adventured into the unknown with my speech and wasn’t anxious (maybe like 30% anxious). Never stuttered and the interviewer even said she had overcame stuttering in her life. We really hit it off and it was one of my greatest speech successes so far! 🙂

[Javier]

Hey Adam! That’s huge! I’m really proud of you. Being a bit nervous in some situations, such as job interviews is normal. Most people would feel that way too. The problem comes when we are so nervous that we can’t even speak, we start to sweat profusely and we can’t even think clearly. But that wasn’t your case, so celebrate it! And I hope to see you at the SAM meetings!!!

[Anonymous]

Amazing, Adam!!! Now, replay that memory OVER AND OVER AND OVER, until you are blue in the face. Each time you go into an interview going forward, your brain will remember what happened and the fear will decrease more and more each time. I remembered the first time I was fluent in an interview, I literally started screaming and crying as soon as I got into my car. I never stuttered again in an interview. After that, I was a hit in interviews, interviewers always loved me! It can be done! If I can do it, anybody can. I went from not being able to say “yes” (taking me 60 long, humiliating seconds to get the word out), to being offered 3 jobs in a row (2 on the spot and the final one a couple of days later).

I would not have believed it if I did not experience it for myself, but it works, the method works! You are working really hard at this and you will see that in a couple of months, you will not even think about your speech again. It will not be something that ever crosses your mind again. I am so happy for you!

[Adam Playfoot]

Javier, I totally agree. I’ve learned through using the methods that my anxiety is lowered massively when I pick a crutch on a word I’m fearing saying. I’ve learned to notice the anxious situation, pick out a crutch if need be, be a little anxious, use the crutch, and then not be anxious anymore. This is very true for saying my first name. Thanks!

Leah, I definitely will replay that interview over and over. I’ve proved that I can be less anxious when doing a speech anxiety provoking situation. And that is an amazing story! I always tell you I wish I could be as confident in my speech as you are! 🙂

[Author]

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