Q: I am 27 years old. I used to speak quite fluently during childhood but suddenly started stuttering at the age of 11 and have been stuttering for the last 16 years. In between I had 3-4 speech therapy classes but to no avail. Even now, I am going to the speech therapist (for the last 4 months). They basically tell me to slow down as the rate of speech is high. Sometimes I do manage to slow down my speech, mostly at home, but its definitely not helping. I struggle mostly on the telephone, noisy places and in a group. I am tired of living a restricted life. Please help.

A:To be extremely honest with you let me tell you that stuttering can be cured only if the individual becomes obsessed with the idea that he has to overcome it. It is nothing but a bad habit, which has been practiced day and night over past (in your case 16 years!). 3-4 sessions of therapy cannot remove this problem. In therapy sessions you need to learn the proper way of speech and then practice it day and night till the time this proper way becomes your new habit. That is the only way to do it. All the best. Go ahead nothing is impossible.