My name is Luke G. I am a 21-year-old college athlete, and I’m pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting. I began stuttering at the age of three and have had many highs and lows with my speech. The highs (points of fluency), although rare in the past, have been confidence boosters and points to strive for in my journey. But the reason I am here and the reason that I found Lee’s book, Stuttering & Anxiety Self Cures 3rd Edition, is due to an alarming lack of fluency in the last 2-3 years. My stutter had reached a point where I was grasping at straws, trying everything in my power to find something to help me in any way. Going into my last year of college, anxiety from future job interviews and day-to-day speaking responsibilities of a job were taking up endless space in my mind. I was blocking on almost 70-80% of my words, and it was very painful for me, and for my listeners. I knew I needed help, and FAST. I was fortunate enough to find Lee’s book on Amazon in the beginning of December 2020. The reviews were breathtakingly great, and I made the easy decision of ordering it immediately and diving in.
Fortunately, I happened to be on Winter break at the time of finding this book, and I was able to fly through the book and dive into the methods almost immediately. When I first read and began implementing use of the crutches, I had to really work hard and practice constantly to change the way I spoke. Thankfully, I was able to drill these crutches with my parents first, rather than dealing with coworkers, students in my class, etc. So, I was able to increase my comfort level with the crutches for the whole month that I was home during break. I also heavily dove into autosuggestions and reading aloud. Like I said, I had a lot of time on my hands, and no excuses not to give this method my ultimate focus. I told myself that I was going to give it everything I had, because what’s the worst that could’ve happened? Still stuttering? Been there.
The results came pretty quickly for me, as I was able to put in a lot of time right off the bat. In the beginning stages of the program, reading aloud massively was a huge help for me, as I was hearing myself talk with perfect fluency for the first time in a long time. This led to a huge increase in confidence, happiness, and a reduction of anxiety. I was thinking about stuttering and how much it would affect my future constantly, and for the first time in a long time, these thoughts began to subside. I felt refreshed, confident, and ready to take on any challenge that came to me.
With this jolt of confidence, I thought that reading aloud and autosuggestions were going to be the largest point of focus for me. I thought that I was using the crutches, but I really wasn’t, as I hadn’t in the time to master them. About 4 to 5 weeks into my start of the program, I began to lose confidence, and while I still had reduced my stuttering abundantly, I was stuttering more than I had in the first few weeks. This left me feeling deflated and confused as to why I was having these problems. If I was doing my one-two-three punch, why is it not working as well as it did in the first few weeks? It was at this point when I had my first lesson with my tremendous speech coach Prathusha. Prathusha was able to quickly identify that I was not using the crutches when I spoke, even though I thought that I was. She helped me to realize that before I speak, I should choose a crutch, and go from there. This great insight from Prathusha put me back in control, and helped me get to where I am today, a PWSS.
In my coaching sessions with Prathusha, we occasionally discuss what I would say to those PWS who are beginning their journey with Lee’s one-two-three punch methods. My advice to current PWS that are battling the stutter beast is as follows. Stick with the methods that Lee provides. They work. There will be days when you question whether or not this will actually work, I know I had those days. But, if you keep pushing through and really commit to the method, you will come out a brand-new person with a new perspective on your speech. There will be highs and lows, and times when you doubt yourself, but everything that you need to succeed is written clearly and concisely in the book!
Starting my journey as a PWSS is so incredibly exciting, and I am happier than I have been in a long time. Even though I have been declared a PWSS, I know that there is still plenty of work to be done. I will continue to work on loving to speak anywhere, anytime. And I will not take this blessing for granted. I will continue to follow the program and become a phenomenal speaker.
I would like to thank WSSA and Lee Lovett for his life changing video course and book. Yes, life changing. Lee has provided me with the tools I needed to become stutter free. If you would have told me four months ago that my speech would be this great today, I would call you a crazy person. I couldn’t be more thankful for what you have done for me and countless others plagued by the stuttering demons. It is a truly selfless act, and one that I will be forever grateful for.
I would also like to thank Coach Prathusha Ravi. Prathusha has been my speech coach for about 2 months now. I know how busy she must be being an auditor, and for her to give up her time to help me conquer my stutter is amazing and selfless. Prathusha has been great, not only for her great coaching ability, but for her kindness and her dedication to her craft. After every session, Prathusha gives me homework and reiterates the main points that we went over in our session. This is incredibly helpful, and I’m sure it is very time consuming for her. I can’t put into words how thankful I am for her help. If you stutter, join WSSA at www.worldstopstuttering.org and become a part of “the world’s only community of EX-stutterers.”
LUCAS Illinois, March 2021
