Stuttering, Vulnerability, and Intimacy | Christopher Constantino | TEDxFSU

[elikplimnuvor]

I'm a medical student who stutters. And its a discipline where speaking within a fixed amount of time involves a greater percentage of your grade to pass. I've had some good and bad days but that's not stopping me.

[charlotteblayke]

I cried the entire video, never felt so understood in my life

[scottm.]

“You know what stuttering sounds like but you don’t know what it feels like” brought tears to my eyes. So very true and this is the companion that is with us with every syllable. His descriptions are so deeply true. I wish more of my listeners could inherently understand this as they communicate with me.
Thankfully, like him, in my 50’s I’m more settled with myself after years of interventions, love of family, and lots of small successes, I’m less worried about the judgement of others and this has made all the difference.
“It’s an invitation for others to be vulnerable” is also so true. It’s opened so many doors to authentic conversations and relationships.

[zinzincoetzee]

I can feel the emotion in every word he's saying. This was really powerful. Its really inspiring to see fellow stutterers on Tedtalks

[Maria-fchw]

I'm 18 y o and I have stuttering as long as I remember myself. It's genetic. My father stutters too. Everyday I search for some ways to get rid of my problems. Because these blocks make my life quite difficult. I study at university and so many thoughts about quitting. I am scared to talk over and over again. I don't loose fear, it only becomes stronger. And I want to be free of this. Because I know I can talk better, I do it when I'm less stressed. But sometimes it seems impossible to get rid of stutter

[mrorange]

I needed to hear this today. I've been stuttering my whole life, had speech therapy, and now at 34 years old, its starting to re-emurge. The embarrassment, frustration, and overall hoplessness is something I struggle with to this day. But hearing others talk about it, and relate can really help. Sometimes it builds up so much, that I just have to go to a secluded place and allow myself to cry for a few minutes just to relieve some of the emotional pressure. Thank you so much.

[trevinarrington]

I’ve stuttered my entire life. I love how he explains the feeling. This was an amazing speech

[klein-lj]

I loved this, its a nightmare trying to go through conversations every day, the shame of feeling smaller to someone just because i cant speak confidently is something i can never explain, i always tell myself its gonna be better but that just sets a false expectation which is met with stronger disappointment. Its easier said that done but I trust that once stutterers like me can live alongside it, thats when it cannot hold you down anymore

[stopplzs]

the worst is when trying to say my name. like my mouth gets stuck. i literally just spell it out sometimes to avoid the embarrassment

[greenpumpkin]

7:06 Yes, because you are in contact with your deeply suppressed trauma which makes us deeply vulnerable and shamefull.

[iRippIe]

This was amazing. It was my first time listening to a talk like this and as a life long stutterer it was incredibly validating to say the least. Thank you Chris for sharing this. It was incredibly brave and profound

[jamesdickerson]

Spot on Chris. I have stuttered my entire life and after being forced to look for the silver lining, I understand that it is the vulnerability which I bring to my interactions with others that is my power. Thank you for your TED Talk!

[anthonydimambro]

Thank you Chris for this talk. You encapsulated what stuttering feels like. This talk will give strength and hope to people that stutter.

[abolacadernos]

I always thought I would live forever with my stutter, but thankfully I found a book by Lee Lovett called “How to Stop Stuttering & Love Speaking”. This book will literally speak to your SOUL and it will help you with your speech, but more importantly your mind.

[clarkjoh]

This video is strong : I've had a stutter since I was a toddler : having a stutter is tough : I don't have it as much as I used to

[infamouspineapple]

Literally tearing up at how you explained it. Comparing it to writing is perfect!

[toughlovestutter]

Awesome! Iv stuttered my whole life and never thought about it like that. I made myself stop stuttering. Got so sick of it I took whatever drastic steps necessary. Thank you for your work, your a rock star man!

[morriswilburn]

If you have stuttered since early childhood and still do by your early 20’s, you probably have developed beliefs and perceptions about yourself, and emotions, that have created more problems than your stuttering does. Those may be shame, low self-confidence, feelings of inferiority, using stuttering as an excuse for not trying to achieve your goals in life, and on and on. The Cleveland Clinic, which is one of the most authoritative organizations on stuttering that I know of, recently asserted that "Nearly 40% of children between 12 and 17 who stutter also have conditions like anxiety or depression. Adults who stutter are twice as likely to develop similar conditions and three times more likely to develop personality disorders". I recommend that a stutterer perform an honest examination of himself and take the appropriate actions. The place to start may be to educate yourself about stuttering; a good place is start is the book "Stuttering: From Shame and Anxiety to Confident Authenticity" by Hanan Hurwitz.

[nicholasgoad]

I’ve stuttered my whole life and all I can say is I love this guy, I’ve never felt understood and never understood my stutter before

[rudyyy-ghi]

Well said. You just put how I feel in the words that I would have never been able to.