Stuttering in adults: symptoms, causes and treatment

There is a wide range of speech disorders, within which stuttering (or dysphemia) turns out to be one of the most common. This disorder consists of the subject repeating words involuntarily, or getting stuck when pronouncing them.

This condition could appear in childhood, being temporary over time. In adolescence it would begin to decrease, so that during adulthood it has completely disappeared. But this does not always happen that way.

In this article we will review What are the main causes of stuttering in adults?, and we will also review the most characteristic symptoms of this disorder in people who have already passed the age of majority.

• Related article: "The 8 types of speech disorders"

What is stuttering?

As we have seen, stuttering is a speech disorder itself, which is characterized by the involuntary repetition of the words that are spoken and the presence of interruptions when speaking.

The origin of this disorder is rooted in the lack of coordination of the peripheral movements required to speak, but sometimes Certainly, no specific cause for stuttering in adults has been determined, nor for the other stages of the development.

What has been established is that the prevalence of this speech complication is higher in people of the male gender, compared to his female counterpart. Males are up to four times more genetically likely to have stuttering than females.

Stuttering in adulthood

If it is not given the necessary attention during the early stages of development or the problem is not adequately solved, It can only disappear momentarily until the subject is faced with a situation that can trigger the trigger again. stuttering.

If stuttering has an organic root in the nervous system, the symptoms will probably be continuous throughout life, but if it is fundamentally emotional causes (nervousness, anxiety, fears, etc.), in many cases the presence of this disturbance may decrease, but there is no total cure.

common causes

Let's see now some of the most common causes of this disorder in adulthood.

• have suffered some stroke where the brain regions responsible for speech (Broca's area and Wernicke's area) are affected.
• Hereditary genetic abnormalities.
• Pathogenic frustrations (emotional trauma, intimidation, bullying).
• Brain infections.
• Prolonged exposure to stressful situations.
• Side effects of some drugs or drugs.

Symptoms of stuttering in adults

Cases of adults with stuttering are evidenced by the following symptoms.

• The repetition of sounds when speaking, parts of words or phrases.
• Feeling of anxiety when it is time to speakespecially if it is in public.
• Physical symptoms of shyness when talking to another person (blushing, sweating).
• The presence of continuous tics, can be movements of the head or eyes.
• Lack of control and poor coordination when speaking.
• Pause between words or in the middle of the word.
• tense tone of voice
• The subject has the feeling that he cannot control what he is saying.

It should be borne in mind that the intensity of the symptoms described above is variable, depending on the level of stress or anguish that the person is presenting at the time of speaking.

• You may be interested in: "What is anxiety: how to recognize it and what to do"

Treatment

To determine the most appropriate treatment in these cases, it is necessary to know What have been the causes that maintain the existence of stuttering?.

Taking into account that each person shows their reality in a very personal (subjective) way, it is necessary to carry out the semi-structured interview prior to the psychological evaluation.

Once the necessary data is available, the specialist will be able to discriminate which is the best therapeutic method, or if it is necessary to refer to the doctor (in case of organic conditions).

The most popular methods for stuttering in adults, and that have shown to have very positive results, are the following.

1. cognitive behavioral therapy

The therapist the maladaptive thoughts that generate anxiety when speaking, or any other emotional symptom, and then replace these beliefs with more adaptive thoughts with the objective that the subject loses fear and adds self-confidence.

In addition, intervention strategies on the behavior of the person are established.

In any case, as already mentioned, in adult stuttering there is no cure that makes the symptoms disappear completely. Thus, the treatment is focused on mitigating its effects and learning to live with dysphemia.

2. Speech therapy

The speech therapist works together with the psychologist to treat stuttering, especially when there are organic influences that prevent the muscles involved in speech from coordinating properly.

Through practical exercises that the person must do at home (read with a pencil in the mouth, breathe correctly when speaking, etc.), the specialist will evaluate the evolution of each case, and will inform the psychologist of the progress.

Bibliographic references:

• Guitar, b. (2005). Stuttering: An Integrated Approach to Its Nature and Treatment. San Diego: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Ward, D. (2006). Stuttering and Cluttering: Frameworks for understanding treatment. Hove and New York City: Psychology Press.