Everyone needs help sometimes. We all hit roadblocks and need some encouragement or a hand to guide us to safety. Help is a wonderful thing, and we all love to give support to our friends and family when needed. But asking for help is often the hard part. This sentiment, stutterers know well. A stutterer’s life is not without challenges but oftentimes when those challenges arise, we are stuck and unable to reach out to others for help. We feel consumed by the fear of opening up to those around us.
A big concern is judgement and lack of compassion from others. By being a stutterer, you are already placed in a category with a label and cast to the side. This label is often hurtful and negative. Others may overlook you or forget about you entirely because you have trouble with your words. I know this is how I felt growing up with my stutter. But no matter what, you are not alone. In good and bad days, in difficult fluency days, and in hopeless days, there is always someone to turn to. A friend, classmate, coworker, parent, or teacher can always be turned to in times of need. Never be ashamed to ask for help or be scared that someone may not answer your call. We as stutterers must share our thoughts and feelings. The only way for others to understand our point of view and get to look inside our inner workings is if we give them the key.
I encourage you to ask for help! I promise that more people care than you realize. So, on days when the cliff seems as if you cannot play on the edge, reach your hand out and I promise someone will be there to steady you.
