| I have recently read a report which suggested | | | | strongly recommend that you attend some form |
| that a large proportion of people who have a low | | | | of speech therapy. Not only could it help you to |
| self-esteem or have a lack of confidence, also | | | | become fluent, it should also help you to gain in |
| have some form of speech impediment. This | | | | confidence. In my opinion the two go hand in |
| could be in one of many forms including a stutter, | | | | hand, the more your speech improves, the higher |
| a stammer, a clutter, a stutter or a lisp. I thought | | | | your confidence rises. |
| the report was very interesting and was a real | | | | During the period when I had a stutter, I would |
| eye opener for me as I had a stutter for | | | | rather spend time in my own company than to |
| eighteen years and during this period my | | | | socialise within a large group of people. Strangely |
| confidence did take a big hit for the worse. | | | | enough I was perfectly fluent when talking to |
| When you are unable to converse in a fluent way | | | | myself. Most of my friends saw me as quite a |
| other people look at you in a real strange way, it | | | | shy person, in reality I was somebody who had a |
| as if they think you have some form of | | | | lot of confidence, a confidence that was being |
| deformity. In reality it is probably due to the fact | | | | shackled by this frustrating stutter. |
| that they are feeling uncomfortable with the | | | | After managing to achieve fluency, I soon started |
| whole situation. This does not make it any easier | | | | to crave company. I no longer wanted to stay at |
| for the person who has the speech impediment; it | | | | home on my own and instead wanted to show |
| used to make me feel like a freak and as less of | | | | people the real "Steve Hill". I hope that by gaining |
| a man. | | | | in fluency that you will also be able to gain in |
| If you have a speech impediment I would | | | | confidence. |