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Suggest Remedy For Stammering And Slurred Speech
Question: Dear Dr. XXXXXXX H. Sheppe, I am 29yr old Male. I have a problem which is troubling me everyday. This is happening since 2 years. I was speaking very fluently before but since 2 years, while talking, suddenly my speech goes slurry (Words wont be pronounced properly, stammering etc). This is really affecting my professional life. While talking to clients in office or to family at home, I keep experiencing this everyday & I am very depressed with this & it is affecting my professional scoring (When it comes to performance & appraisal).
Believe me, it also happens when I am cool & even when I am talking to my 1 year old daughter!!!
I have already visited Psychiatrists & had a discussion with them, had counselling. They just said to be calm & relaxed & everything will be fine!! Please help me. This is affecting my confidence level badly.
I was initially thinking that this may be due to excitement /anxiety /tension & I tried everything from my side to be calm, relaxed, talking slowly but it never helped me. Please help me to come out of this. If I look back 2-3 years, I feel so bad because I was talking so fluently like a news reader & I never stammmered & didn't pronounce words wrongly.
What has happened to me & how to come out of this
Thank you.
(1) There is no set situation. It keeps happening everyday. In office, at home, in a shopping center, etc. Sometimes this problem will be there for few hours & sometimes the whole day.
(2) Yes, it occurs when I am speaking to my family also. While speaking to my 1 yr old daughter also!!!
(3) I am basically confident to speak in group & even in presentations. This problem occurs there also.
(4) Yes, I have visited Psychiatrists. Had a discussion with them (Counseling). They just told that this is the mindset. Try to be calm, relaxed, talk slowly etc., which I have already tried & didn't help thats why I had been to them but the doctros never helped!!
I am having very low confidence these days. I can say no confidence at al. I cannot look into a person's eyes while talking, I cant walk straight thinking that I wont look good etc.. pls pls help.
Please help doctor.
Believe me, it also happens when I am cool & even when I am talking to my 1 year old daughter!!!
I have already visited Psychiatrists & had a discussion with them, had counselling. They just said to be calm & relaxed & everything will be fine!! Please help me. This is affecting my confidence level badly.
I was initially thinking that this may be due to excitement /anxiety /tension & I tried everything from my side to be calm, relaxed, talking slowly but it never helped me. Please help me to come out of this. If I look back 2-3 years, I feel so bad because I was talking so fluently like a news reader & I never stammmered & didn't pronounce words wrongly.
What has happened to me & how to come out of this
Thank you.
(1) There is no set situation. It keeps happening everyday. In office, at home, in a shopping center, etc. Sometimes this problem will be there for few hours & sometimes the whole day.
(2) Yes, it occurs when I am speaking to my family also. While speaking to my 1 yr old daughter also!!!
(3) I am basically confident to speak in group & even in presentations. This problem occurs there also.
(4) Yes, I have visited Psychiatrists. Had a discussion with them (Counseling). They just told that this is the mindset. Try to be calm, relaxed, talk slowly etc., which I have already tried & didn't help thats why I had been to them but the doctros never helped!!
I am having very low confidence these days. I can say no confidence at al. I cannot look into a person's eyes while talking, I cant walk straight thinking that I wont look good etc.. pls pls help.
Please help doctor.
Brief Answer:
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thank you very much indeed for using my premium private service. I consider you my private patient, and will do everything I can to help you!
There are a few possibilities here. Let me go over them in detail.
First, before we can consider psychiatric problems, we need to make sure we have ruled out neurological problems. Problems with speech production including a stammer or difficulty pronouncing words can be caused by lesions in the brain. Conditions that could cause this include stroke, parasitic infection, and multiple sclerosis. You need to visit a neurologist in-person for a physical exam, and very likely an MRI of the brain. This is the first step to solving this problem.
Second, once neurologic causes are ruled out, we should consider the possibility this is not anxiety, but a stammer. This can be evaluated by a speech and language pathologist (SLP). The treatment for this is speech therapy, which is very effective in treating stammer.
Third, once the above two things are ruled out, it is possible this could be related to anxiety. I find this somewhat unlikely, as you mention you often feel normal and not anxious when this happens, even when speaking with your young child. However, your situation might warrant a medication trial. An antidepressant such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Lexapro could be helpful in reducing anxiety in the long-term.
Again, the first and most important step is an in-person exam by a neurologist, and possibly an MRI of the brain.
Could you tell me a bit more about this problem in more detail? What exactly is happening when you have one of these episodes?
Dr. Sheppe
In the future, I encourage you to contact me again at my private link below, because we receive nearly double the payment from this website for direct questions. After asking a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, or individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Consultation
Detailed Answer:
Hello, and thank you very much indeed for using my premium private service. I consider you my private patient, and will do everything I can to help you!
There are a few possibilities here. Let me go over them in detail.
First, before we can consider psychiatric problems, we need to make sure we have ruled out neurological problems. Problems with speech production including a stammer or difficulty pronouncing words can be caused by lesions in the brain. Conditions that could cause this include stroke, parasitic infection, and multiple sclerosis. You need to visit a neurologist in-person for a physical exam, and very likely an MRI of the brain. This is the first step to solving this problem.
Second, once neurologic causes are ruled out, we should consider the possibility this is not anxiety, but a stammer. This can be evaluated by a speech and language pathologist (SLP). The treatment for this is speech therapy, which is very effective in treating stammer.
Third, once the above two things are ruled out, it is possible this could be related to anxiety. I find this somewhat unlikely, as you mention you often feel normal and not anxious when this happens, even when speaking with your young child. However, your situation might warrant a medication trial. An antidepressant such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Lexapro could be helpful in reducing anxiety in the long-term.
Again, the first and most important step is an in-person exam by a neurologist, and possibly an MRI of the brain.
Could you tell me a bit more about this problem in more detail? What exactly is happening when you have one of these episodes?
Dr. Sheppe
In the future, I encourage you to contact me again at my private link below, because we receive nearly double the payment from this website for direct questions. After asking a direct question, it would be my pleasure to be your dedicated personal physician on this website. My name is Dr. Sheppe, and I am an XXXXXXX doctor working in New York City at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, ranked #1 for Psychiatry in the United States (tinyurl.com/psyrank). For a personalized comprehensive evaluation, treatment recommendations, or individual therapy, ask me at HealthCareMagic at this private link: tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Thank you so much for your reply. I am from XXXXXXX I will surely consult a neurologist here at the earliest.
Doctor, it feels so good when a doctor responds so well to a patient who is worried about a problem. Thanks again.
Coming to my other problem (Low confidence level /no confidence). Is it not possible that I can gain my confidence back? I used to be very very confident & a daring man just 2 yrs back. Now I am upset as I do not have that confidence level.
I used to be the center of attraction at my office as I used to interact a lot & used to be so active walking around & keeping everyone entertained & always charged up with energy & confidence!! Now I will be so silent like a new employee (I am 6 years old in the company).
(1) I am not the same. I have changed. Whenever I walk on the streets, I cant walk straight (I used to walk like a model before, with a lot of confidence). Now while walking, my mind will be full of stupid thoughts like: People are noticing me, I am not good looking, my hairstyle may be bad, my clothes are not good etc (Though I wear good clothes & I look good), my walking style may be funny, people would make fun of me etc.
(2) While speaking to anyone, I cannot look into their eyes. I feel that the way I speak would be funny, my lip /jaw movement while speaking to them would be funny, they might notice it & make fun of me, even if they dont make fun of me they would be thinking that in their mind etc etc..
(3) Also, for example I am in a crowded area like railway station /bus stand etc. if I receive a phone call, I will be so confident while speaking & my language will be so good. The reason is, there will be a lot of noise at the places like bus stand /railway station & people wont be concentrating on me. I talk so clearly to the person on the phone.
When it comes to a quiet room (Like a temple, meeting room in office, rest room etc), if I receive a phone call, I wont be able to speak clearly & I will be in a hurry to end the call or the conversation as I feel that people may be listening to my conversation & they might notice my voice quality, grammar, tone etc & they may make fun etc etc..
I have a hobby of reading articles about psychology, how to be confident, how to think positive etc.. I have already tried my best to build confidence & tried to control myself when my mind starts thinking about people making fun at me. I have also consulted psychiatrists to discuss about the same but they just told me to be calm, dont think about others, start meditating, listen to the music etc. I have already tried all these. Nothing has helped me.
Is there any medicine that could help me? Pls help me to gain confidence doctor.
Thank you.
Doctor, it feels so good when a doctor responds so well to a patient who is worried about a problem. Thanks again.
Coming to my other problem (Low confidence level /no confidence). Is it not possible that I can gain my confidence back? I used to be very very confident & a daring man just 2 yrs back. Now I am upset as I do not have that confidence level.
I used to be the center of attraction at my office as I used to interact a lot & used to be so active walking around & keeping everyone entertained & always charged up with energy & confidence!! Now I will be so silent like a new employee (I am 6 years old in the company).
(1) I am not the same. I have changed. Whenever I walk on the streets, I cant walk straight (I used to walk like a model before, with a lot of confidence). Now while walking, my mind will be full of stupid thoughts like: People are noticing me, I am not good looking, my hairstyle may be bad, my clothes are not good etc (Though I wear good clothes & I look good), my walking style may be funny, people would make fun of me etc.
(2) While speaking to anyone, I cannot look into their eyes. I feel that the way I speak would be funny, my lip /jaw movement while speaking to them would be funny, they might notice it & make fun of me, even if they dont make fun of me they would be thinking that in their mind etc etc..
(3) Also, for example I am in a crowded area like railway station /bus stand etc. if I receive a phone call, I will be so confident while speaking & my language will be so good. The reason is, there will be a lot of noise at the places like bus stand /railway station & people wont be concentrating on me. I talk so clearly to the person on the phone.
When it comes to a quiet room (Like a temple, meeting room in office, rest room etc), if I receive a phone call, I wont be able to speak clearly & I will be in a hurry to end the call or the conversation as I feel that people may be listening to my conversation & they might notice my voice quality, grammar, tone etc & they may make fun etc etc..
I have a hobby of reading articles about psychology, how to be confident, how to think positive etc.. I have already tried my best to build confidence & tried to control myself when my mind starts thinking about people making fun at me. I have also consulted psychiatrists to discuss about the same but they just told me to be calm, dont think about others, start meditating, listen to the music etc. I have already tried all these. Nothing has helped me.
Is there any medicine that could help me? Pls help me to gain confidence doctor.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Followup
Detailed Answer:
You're very welcome. It's my pleasure to work with you and help you feel better.
I've read over your concerns carefully, and here are my thoughts.
It is clear that this change in your ability to speak clearly has had an enormous impact on your self-confidence. You used to be confident and self-assured, and now you are constantly worrying about what people are thinking about you.
Medicines typically cannot help problems like this, although you could certainly try an antidepressant like Lexapro, Zoloft, or Prozac if you wanted. In the long term, in my opinion what you need is ongoing therapy to examine why you are feeling the way you are feeling, and eventually to develop ways to overcome your anxieties and fears.
The best types of therapy for issues like this are psychodynamic, insight-oriented, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. While there may be people in XXXXXXX who have some understanding about these therapies, there may not be, as they require special training. I do offer therapy on this website using my private service. I have many patients with whom I do therapy here. Typically how we do it is we open up a new question thread to begin the therapy. I will ask you questions and you will answer and think about them until the thread is complete (three follow-up questions), and then we open a new thread on a new topic, and continue this process as much as you would like. I have seen great success using this method. You seem like a very intelligent and psychologically-minded man who could really benefit from therapy, and I believe in time we would be able to overcome your concerns stemming from this issue of speech and get you back to feeling good about yourself. Let me know if you would like to do therapy with me, and I will ask you a question to answer on a new question thread using my private link.
Dr. Sheppe
tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Followup
Detailed Answer:
You're very welcome. It's my pleasure to work with you and help you feel better.
I've read over your concerns carefully, and here are my thoughts.
It is clear that this change in your ability to speak clearly has had an enormous impact on your self-confidence. You used to be confident and self-assured, and now you are constantly worrying about what people are thinking about you.
Medicines typically cannot help problems like this, although you could certainly try an antidepressant like Lexapro, Zoloft, or Prozac if you wanted. In the long term, in my opinion what you need is ongoing therapy to examine why you are feeling the way you are feeling, and eventually to develop ways to overcome your anxieties and fears.
The best types of therapy for issues like this are psychodynamic, insight-oriented, and cognitive-behavioral therapies. While there may be people in XXXXXXX who have some understanding about these therapies, there may not be, as they require special training. I do offer therapy on this website using my private service. I have many patients with whom I do therapy here. Typically how we do it is we open up a new question thread to begin the therapy. I will ask you questions and you will answer and think about them until the thread is complete (three follow-up questions), and then we open a new thread on a new topic, and continue this process as much as you would like. I have seen great success using this method. You seem like a very intelligent and psychologically-minded man who could really benefit from therapy, and I believe in time we would be able to overcome your concerns stemming from this issue of speech and get you back to feeling good about yourself. Let me know if you would like to do therapy with me, and I will ask you a question to answer on a new question thread using my private link.
Dr. Sheppe
tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Sure doctor. I am open for this therapy. Let us start. Please guide me, how will I start the discussion
Brief Answer:
Starting Therapy
Detailed Answer:
This is a great first step in the right direction towards getting your life back to the way you want it to be.
Begin by opening a new question thread at:
tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
OR
https://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=70684
Let's start the discussion with you telling me more about yourself. Tell me if you're married, if you have kids, and what your job is. Tell me what your childhood was like, what your relationship with your parents was like growing up. We can begin with this. I want to understand a little bit more about who you are as a person. Don't worry about typing up long replies, just type the information that comes to mind, and we can continue to explore these issues in more depth together. I will help guide you.
I'm looking forward to working with you!
Dr. Sheppe
Starting Therapy
Detailed Answer:
This is a great first step in the right direction towards getting your life back to the way you want it to be.
Begin by opening a new question thread at:
tinyurl.com/DrSheppeAnswers
OR
https://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=70684
Let's start the discussion with you telling me more about yourself. Tell me if you're married, if you have kids, and what your job is. Tell me what your childhood was like, what your relationship with your parents was like growing up. We can begin with this. I want to understand a little bit more about who you are as a person. Don't worry about typing up long replies, just type the information that comes to mind, and we can continue to explore these issues in more depth together. I will help guide you.
I'm looking forward to working with you!
Dr. Sheppe
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
Hello. Doctor. I have started a new discussion & posted the question to you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Brief Answer:
Followup
Detailed Answer:
You're very welcome! I will speak with you soon. Please remember to rate and close this thread.
Dr. Sheppe
Followup
Detailed Answer:
You're very welcome! I will speak with you soon. Please remember to rate and close this thread.
Dr. Sheppe
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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