“Sometimes You Feel Your Stuttering Has Reduced, But You Fear It Might Return”—A Deep Psychological Explanation
There are times when a person can clearly tell that their stuttering has gotten a lot better. It’s easier to talk and words come out more easily. Conversations aren’t as scary as they used to be. People even start to notice and say, “You talk much better now.”
But even though things are getting better, there is still a small fear inside: “What if the stuttering comes back?”
This fear is the most dangerous because you can’t see it, but it controls your mind without you knowing it.
This fear isn’t stuttering; it’s the memory of it. Years of fighting, feeling ashamed, scared, having conversations that don’t go well, and blaming yourself leave deep marks on your mind. Even after things get better, the mind still says, “Be careful… it might come back.”
This thought slowly pulls you back to the same fear you had already gotten over.
The most important thing to remember is that being afraid of stuttering is worse than stuttering itself.
Fear is something that happens in the future, while improvement is something that happens right now. Thinking “What if it comes back?” over and over again trains the mind to go that way. As the saying goes, we become what we think about a lot.
So, the first thing to do is to stop thinking about it.
This doesn’t mean turning off your brain; it means not letting the bad thought get worse. Thoughts may come to mind on their own, but you can choose to keep them.
Stop the thought “stuttering might come back” right away. Don’t question it or try to figure it out. Just change your focus.
- Change Your Place—Move Your Body to Break the Mind’s Loop
When you sit still and have bad thoughts, that place becomes a mental trigger. So, don’t stay seated. Get up, walk, leave the room, drink some water, or go to a place where there is more space.
Movement breaks up mental blocks.
The mind can’t stay stuck in the same thought loop when the body moves.
- Pay attention to your breathing to bring yourself back to the present.
Fear is always in the future, but breathing is only in the present.
When you feel fear, pay attention to your breath for five minutes.
Feel the breath in…
Feel the breath out…
Don’t change it; just watch.
This brings the mind back to the present, where there is no fear, only awareness.
- Counting backwards—keeping the mind busy
To stop being afraid, you have to change where your mental energy goes.
You can’t be afraid when you count backwards from 100 to 1. You have to be completely focused.
- Expectation and Belief: The Mind’s Greatest Power
Where belief goes, energy flows.
If you think you’ll relapse, you’re more likely to do so.
You strengthen stability if you believe in recovery.
If you can control your stuttering, trust it.
Be positive.
Tell yourself, “I’m fine.” I talk better. “I’m safe.”
Not thinking negative thoughts is not running away; it is taking care of yourself.
Stuttering was a problem, but fear makes it a disorder.
Words naturally find their way when fear goes away.
The real healing comes from trust, patience, and awareness.
LV 🩷