From 8 years old, I started to stutter. I had always wondered how it all started. But I was unable to track down the initial cause or trauma that started my stuttering. I had to accept that the cause of my stuttering was a present problem. It was because of fear of speaking to some people. For example, I feared talking to strangers, older or people in authority and girls. I would feel very anxious at the thought of having to talk to people I considered a threat to my normal speech. In my mind’s eye I would see myself tense up and nervous and struggle to speak and sure enough the mind’s picture was self-fulfilling. I was sure to stutter as I had feared happening. Occasionally, I would stutter when I got excited. I realised that it was primarily FEAR that impeded my normal speech.
My family and relatives were of no help to my woe. My older relatives would laugh and mock me when I stuttered and there were times when my eldest brother would punish me by slapping when he caught me stuttering. My self-esteem was badly affected.
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