Question for Lee

[Anonymous]

Hi Lee,

I finished reading your book recently, and have started applying the methods. In the first 1/2 weeks, I have reduced my stuttering by about 5% by thinking positively and doing mind training. However, I am struggling with the crutches. On my own, they work perfectly, but I panic in pressure situations, and forget the crutches. All I think about in these situations is getting the words out, so I force them out.

How can I remember the crutches in pressure situations?

[Javier]

Hi Darren,
My name is Javier, and I’m a Person Who Stopped Stuttering and one of the certified coaches by World Stop Stuttering Association. Although you asked this question to Lee, I’m going to take the liberty of replying to you, I hope you find it helpful.

First of all, it’s great to hear that Lee’s book has helped you reduce your stuttering.

The reason why we stutter is that we fear words and stuttering, so we plan our next word, and that makes it even worse. We have been doing this for such a long time that we have made it a habit. Our way of speaking. If we want to stop stuttering, we need to acquire a new speaking habit: not planning our words (and stutters). Acquiring a habit takes time and practice. The Crutches will help us accomplish this. But we have to use them 24/7, literally, until we acquire the habit of fluency. One day you’ll realise that you are using the Crutches automatically, effortlessly. This is like when we learn to drive a car. The first time, we are really concentrated on everything. After a few days or weeks, we just get in the car, start the engine and “automatically” go from one place to another, without thinking. The same happens here. But you need to practice at all times, when needed and WHEN NOT NEEDED.

A few tips to make this easier:
– Carry a list of the Crutches with you all the time. Check it every few minutes and practice using them.
– Have this list of Crutches infront of you when you work, for example. I used to have it infront of me, next to the screen of my computer. Every time I had to say somehting, I just had to look at the list and I knew how I had to speak. Everytime I came upon a feared word, instead of forcing that word, I had infront of me a list of 12 different alternatives to solve the problem.
– Focus 100% on the Crutch instead of the word or the block. The Crutches work because they make us think on something else that’s not the word or the block/stutter.
– Using the Crutches is a lot easier if we slow down a bit. We normally tend to rush when we’re under pressure, and that doesn’t help, at all.

We always can choose between forcing a word or using a Crutch. ALWAYS. There is no need to rush and force a word. We can always take a pause, and use a Crutch. People can wait 2 seconds more, it’s not a big deal.

I strongly recommend you to watch the videos of the coaching sessions and th online course. We speak a lot about this.

I hope that you find this helpful.

[Gil Lovett]

Also, Darren, I’d like to add to Javier’s answer that joining as a Stuttering plan member should help you tremendously because you will then be able to watch Lee’s
50 video lectures on his books (20 of which are specifically on his Stuttering and Anxiety Self-Cures 3rd addition — and 9 of those lessons focus on the Crutches), and also be able to watch any and all 800+ coaching videos in the library. You can sort these videos by topic and watch hours and hours of other students working on similar issues.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Javier and Gil

[Prathusha Ravi]

Hi Darren,

I also faced a problem similar to yours. When I’m not under pressure and use a crutch it works perfectly and I really enjoyed the way I spoke and was cherishing the fluent memories but under pressure I did not do well and I seldom stuttered and this broke my heart and that was my first and last relapse. First thing, after becoming fluent I was over confident and did not do my AST properly and the second thing was I COMPLETELY FORGOT TO USE A CRUTCH UNDER PRESSURE.

This is a common mistake every PWS makes, they simply forget to use the crutch under pressure. So what do you need to do? All you have to do is practice the crutches all time and every time you speak even if you don’t need one just like Coach Javier had already mentioned. This helps you to blend the crutches into your system. Once you have mastered the crutches you will use them in your speech automatically. It will become your speaking style. You can also observe the way non-stutterers speak, you can always relate a crutch to their speaking style. I do this often and it is fun and it also helps me in remembering the crutches.

If you are not sure of how to use a crutch then you can sign up for stuttering plan and watch the videos wherein Lee explains each and every crutch in more detail.

All the best,
Coach Prathusha

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

It seems I am late to the party. Brilliant answers from everyone. I would like to add that it is not going to be easy, it is going to require hard work and dedication. So many people come to me and tell me “the crutches do not work”. That is like saying “the cricket bat does not work”. Rafael Nadal did not pick up a tennis racket and complain that it did not work. He woke up every single day and practised, practised, practised. Do you think that he struggles to use his tennis racket under pressure (during matches)? Not a chance, because he has practised so much while he was not under pressure!

You need to practice your crutches in the following situations:

1) While reading aloud;
2) While reciting your autosuggestions;
3) While under pressure;
4) While not under pressure;
5) While reading everything that you see aloud ie. letters, bottles, tins, texts, emails etc.

Your brain must hear you practising the crutches as much as you can. Everything becomes a habit if we force ourselves to do it enough. If you need assistance practising the crutches, sign up for some coaching. Also, come to Speech Masters Club every Saturday at 9 am DC time. I have been going for weeks and I went from never even thinking about speaking in front of a group of people, to now being the moderator and giving two speeches in front of plus-minus 20 people.

[LEE LOVETT]

I do not know computers and websites very well, much less ‘forums”. So, I just now asked Javier to show me how to reply to you. Sorry to be so late. FIrst, I agree with all that Coaches Prathusha, Tasneem and Javier wrote to you. Second, in my view, the main reason that “Crutches don’t work” for some is very simple: They do not know them well enough. You must know them like the fingers on your hands. You do not need to tell each finger what to do. Your mind makes the choice for you, DUE TO PRACTICE using fingers at age one, two, three, etc., until your fingers and mind work together. Your mind already knows all necessary words, and it knows how to use them and when without any help. Stutterers have developed a bad habit of interfering with the mind. Crutches enable the PWS to block the habit of thinking words. Crutches change the mind’s focus FROM words (and stutters) TO methods/solutions/ways to avoid or say the problem DESPITE the habit. Crutches take us around the habit. There are many ways to practice the Crutches, as the Coaches suggest above. Beating stuttering, in 75% of the cases, is NOT that hard. Any of the above the Coaches could walk you through the problem in a handful of coaching sessions. Join WSSA as a STUTTER Plan member and take a few lessons. You’ll also learn from watching my 21 video-lectures on my stuttering book. We post many new Success Stories every month; 90% of those we help do beat it. YOU can, too. PRACTICE the Crutches; use them when not needed. Watch coaching videos. Take a few lessons. YOU CAN BEAT IT AND, therefore< YOU SHOULD!

[Gábor]

Hello, I have a question about the book: is there a new, 2021 edition of it? I watched a coaching session on YouTube and you mentioned an improved (but still 3d edition) book. I’ve checked on Amazon but can only see the book I’ve already purchased as an ebook in 2020.

[Javier]

Hi Gábor,
sorry for my late reply. Lee sent us an email last night saying that he has just uploaded his new book on Amazon, which means that it 3-5 days it should be available there.

[Gábor]

Thanks, Javi, Lee sent an email about his new book and I’ve already purchased it on Amazon. Looking forward to read it. 🙂

[Javier]

Hi Gábor! Fantastic! I hope you’ll enjoy this new book and find it useful!

[Author]

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