Is There A Stammering Cure?

Are you looking for a stammering cure? Is there a remedy or quick fix that will 'get rid' of a stammer? Can you 'overcome' or stop it? Find out here.

Can you cure stammering? It's a question we get asked a lot. The short answer is no, there is no 'miracle cure' that can take stammering away. 

You might find adverts online for courses or pills that claim to cure or stop stammering. Be wary of these. Although certain things can reduce a stammer for some, it's unlikely to go away completely. There isn't a permanent fix.

However, some things can help people manage their stammer and learn to speak more easily.

Therapy & courses

Speech & language therapy or intensive courses can help to manage stammering. They can:

• teach techniques aimed at speaking in a controlled way
• help address the negative feelings you or your child might have about stammering
• help you or your child communicate with greater confidence. 

See what adult therapy, adult courses and children/teenagers therapy & courses are available. 

Note: therapies and courses are not a cure or a 'quick fix' for stammering. Using them to help with stammering needs constant work and commitment .

Also, different things 'work' for different people, so if one option isn't working out for you, it's not your fault. Try one of the other options and find one that suits you. Just don't expect it to magic the stammer away.

Medication

Some people find certain medicines or drugs reduce their stammer or stammering-related anxiety. But there isn't a cure and they don't stammering for everyone. The evidence base is limited too. 

Also, as with many medications, there might be unwanted side-effects to consider. 

Read more on our Stammering & Medications page.

Will stammering stop?

Approximately 8% of children stammer. Some will stop stammering as they get older, but that is not true for everyone. There is no way to know which children will stop stammering and who will carry on. See What Is Stammering? for more information.

If someone stammers into adulthood they are likely to continue throughout their life. But this doesn't have to be something to worry about. It won't always stay the same. Stammering can change. There'll be whole periods where people stammer less, and some where they stammer more. 

Some people find that they stammer less as they get older. For others, their stammer may stop almost completely and it may start again years later.

If someone's stammer begins in adulthood, it may change over time depending on what caused it. Find out more on our Stammers Starting In Adulthood page.

'Overcoming' a stammer

You might wonder if it's possible to 'overcome' a stammer. This is understandable with TV shows, films and news stories showing people going on a 'journey' to 'beat' stammering. But this is misleading. It gives the impression that people who stammer can be cured if they try hard enough. 

Sure, people can overcome their fear of stammering. They might feel more confident about things and stammer less over time. But it won't go away completely. If they're using a technique, they'll need to keep using it. Conquering fears will not cure a stammer, as you can't overcome stammering itself. 

Should stammering be cured?

This can be a controversial question. Some people want nothing more than to stop stammering. Others feel that their stammer is not something that needs to be 'cured', 'fixed' or 'overcome'. 

There's a growing feeling of Stammering Pride in parts of the community. Some people are starting to push back against society's demand for fluency. Instead, they want to celebrate the rich diversity of speaking voices. 

They champion the positives their stammer has given them. This can include things such as increased empathy, understanding and listening skills. Maybe broad vocabularies and an increased sense of community too.

We believe absolutely in your right to stammer. You may be entirely comfortable stammering. You might be proud of your stammer and celebrate the positive things it has brought you. 

However, we know not everyone feels that way. We believe that you have the right to deal with stammering in your own way. 

The important thing is to find out what works for you now. And if you're OK with the way you speak, you don't need to do anything at all.

More information & support

• Is stammering having a negative impact on your life? See Help For Your Stammer for things you can do to build confidence or get support.
• If you have a child who stammers, see Help For Parents.
• Talk to us. Call our free helpline on 0808 802 0002 or start a webchat. You can also email us on help@stamma.org 

What next?

• Become A STAMMA Member for free and join the community. We'll keep you updated with our activities.
• Get involved with the STAMMA community. Find an event, fundraise, share your story, volunteer, take part in research and more.

Donate & make a difference

Creating this page was only possible thanks to your kind donations. 

Please consider making a donation to STAMMA: click here. You'll be helping us to: 

• keep our support services running for people who stammer and worried parents 
• put on workshops and support groups
• stage events to bring people together
• create guides for teachers and employers 
• create our award-winning campaigns for change. 

Thank you.

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