If you find yourself frequently tongue-tied and unable to put your thoughts across effectively, causing you to stammer, here are three ways to overcome the condition
If you find yourself frequently tongue-tied and unable to put your thoughts across effectively, causing you to stammer, here are three waysu00a0to overcome the conditionExperts define stammering as a psychological disorder whose main triggers can be rooted in causes including fear, excitement, diffidence, and strict parenting.
"Stammering is often rooted in anxiety and there is no absolute cure that can be prescribed to cure it," says psychiatrist Dr Pervin Dadachanji.
However, all hope is not lost, as there are countless instances where individuals have managed to overcome the condition, with Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan serving as its most popular poster boy.
"Looking at yourself in the mirror while you speak is a common antidote for stammering.
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But this could backfire as one tends to focus on the movement of the lips, which could get you more worked up and aggravate the situation.
It's like trying to ice-skate when you are stiff with fear." Here then, are tips from the experts that actually work.
Get support"Articulation exercises are routinely prescribed for patients with the problem," says psychotherapist Dr Tariq Jagmag. His Chembur-based clinic offers speech therapy as part of the Stammering Treatment Programme.
Since stammering is caused by various trigger points, the efficacy of treatments naturally depends on accurately pin-pointing the root cause.
"For instance, in cases where the Orton-Travis theory applies; when emotions like anxiety or fear interfere with speech, ego-boosting exercises have proven to be very beneficial.
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In these exercises, the person is either consciously or unconsciously repeatedly reminded that he or she is a good speaker and a confident person," he says.
Read Out LoudSinger and public speaker, Manasi Scott believes that reading aloud helps. "The more you speak, the more comfortable you get in a room full of audience. Pausing to take a deep breath and starting over is another trick," explains Manasi.
Though, the singer and host, cautions that it might not work in cases where people have a serious health condition.
Recalling an instance when she had to deliver an impromptu speech in Hindi, on stage in Rajasthan, she says, "When I got stuck on certain words, I took a moment.
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I decided to come clean with the audience, and told them about my problem with the language. Being honest helped, since the audience understood my predicament and even helped out."
Make a listThe condition is often caused by anxiety, according to psychiatrist Dr Pervin Dadachanji who advocates listing situations that one might perceive as uncomfortable.
"At the bottom of the list include situations like meeting strangers, which could be the source of least discomfort, and slowly graduate to situations that cause greater anxiety such as giving a speech in front of a live audience."
That done, make an appointment with a trained speech therapist or counsellor, who can guide you through various techniques.
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She says: "Relaxation exercises involve using memories or the imagination where experts make the patient feel at ease. It is followed by gradually introducing trigger points, helping them deal with the problem."
