Retrain That Brain

Yesterday, I read an article on public speaking that struck a cord. The author wrote:

A debilitating fear of public speaking is often rooted in a past event. It is possible a sadistic teacher or adult humiliated a defenseless child in front of the class. This event became hardwired into the brain. . . . The brain's goal is to protect us, but we are no longer a defenseless child and don't need that protection. We need to retrain the brain.^*

I could say the same thing about my stutter.

I was scolded by a teacher when I was ten for stuttering. To protect me from further unpleasantness, my brain started watching out for possible stuttering episodes and devising ways to avoid them at all costs. That analysis became hardwired into my brain and now I'm left with a whole slew of coping mechanisms that probably make my speech far more choppy than it needs to be.

I guess I should look on the bright side: Apparently, I'm not the only one who needs to retrain their brain. If only there were an easy way to do it, though.

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^* Jamie Lee, "Sliding Into Your Platform Shoes?" SPAN Connection 7 (March 2007).