Stuttering in adults: treatment at home, psychotherapy

Stuttering in adults is a rather rare, but no less unattractive phenomenon, which can have various roots. It is not for nothing that ancient doctors and scientists, as well as modern luminaries of medicine, pay such close attention to it in the search for possible causes and effective methods for solving the problem of this speech disorder in both children and adults.

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Epidemiology

Methods of modern non-infectious epidemiology allow us to determine the prevalence of stuttering among various segments of the population as accurately as possible. According to various authors, the percentage of stutterers among schoolchildren ranges from 1.5 to 2.2%. By adolescence, this speech disorder persists in approximately 1% of children.

Among the adult population, this figure fluctuates between 1-3%. Moreover, among men, stuttering occurs 3.5-4 times more often than among women.

Stuttering that occurs in adulthood, if it is not associated with organic brain damage, manifests itself only in communication with others. Talking "to oneself" no longer has those speech defects, a person communicates mentally freely. This suggests that such stuttering should be easily treatable.

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Causes adult stuttering

Stuttering in childhood is, one might say, a common thing. According to various sources, this speech disorder can be observed in 2-9% of children aged 2-4 years. The reason for this can be both physiological features of the body's development and stressful conditions. Sometimes stuttering in a child can be caused by incorrect actions of parents in the matter of developing their child's speech. But if problems with speech activity in early childhood do not entail any special problems in the child's socialization, then at an older age stuttering can cause psychological disorders: the child becomes withdrawn, uncommunicative, feels like an outcast in the group.

Stuttering in adults has slightly different consequences. It is not only psychological discomfort in communication. Fluent speech with correct pronunciation of words is one of the components of the image of a successful person. Stuttering in most cases is a serious obstacle in building a career, as well as in creating a family and achieving personal happiness.

And yet, stuttering even in adulthood is quite curable. It is not such a rare phenomenon, and many famous people, as well as ordinary people, have long said goodbye to the problem of stuttering, which has haunted them since childhood or made itself known in adulthood.

Stuttering is a speech disorder associated with multiple short-term spasms of the muscles of the speech apparatus. The human speech apparatus consists of:

• respiratory tract (lungs, bronchi, trachea),
• active organs of speech (tongue, lips, soft palate, vocal cords, uvula),
• passive organs (teeth, pharynx, larynx and other immobile parts of the organ involved in the formation of sounds and words).

During a conversation with an interlocutor, the muscles of the vocal apparatus convulse, and the speech becomes intermittent. The situation is aggravated if a person tries to speak quickly or is worried, as well as during emotional overexcitement.

The main causes of stuttering in adults can be the following:

1. Organic damage to the brain. Some diseases of the head and central nervous system (stroke, brain tumor, meningitis, etc.), as well as head injuries, can lead to stuttering due to insufficient conduction of nerve impulses. With this form of stuttering, the manifestations of the convulsive syndrome of the facial muscles and respiratory muscles are especially pronounced. Patients can perform active actions with various parts of the body during a conversation: fingering, rocking or nodding their heads, etc.
2. Neurotic causes. Stuttering in adults can occur under the influence of a stressful situation or severe emotional experiences. A person can be very scared of something, witness a crime, worry about relatives or experience their death, get into a situation that causes a state of shock. Sometimes a speech disorder occurs due to strong anxiety before a performance or competition. The neurotic form of stuttering, as a rule, has a short course.
3. Insufficient treatment of early stuttering in childhood. Sometimes parents, listening to advice from experienced people, think that stuttering will go away on its own, but there is no improvement, and the disease becomes chronic with muscle spasms. Treatment of such conditions is longer, you need to stock up on due patience to go through it to the victorious end.
4. Heredity. This may include both genetic physiological characteristics and hereditary predisposition to certain diseases of the brain that cause disturbances in the functioning of the speech apparatus, and even a tendency to develop stuttering due to nervousness.

It is the cause of stuttering in adults that often influences the duration of its treatment. And, of course, the persistence and desire of the patient himself.

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Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of stuttering in adults, as well as in children, has not yet been sufficiently studied. There are various theories: psychogenic, genetic, semantic, which try to explain the origin and development pattern of the pathological process. Recently, scientists have tended to believe that more than one factor usually participates in the development of stuttering. This complicates the situation with determining the exact cause of stuttering.

However, recent studies confirm the influence of the hereditary factor on the likelihood of developing stuttering. 17.5% of patients with neurotic stuttering have a genetic predisposition to its occurrence.

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Symptoms adult stuttering

It is simply impossible not to notice the onset of stuttering in an adult. After all, what is normal for a young child may be a deviation from this very norm for an adult. The first signs of stuttering: frequent hesitations before saying something, uncertainty and the desire to avoid a long conversation, intermittent pronunciation of sounds and words. Often at this stage, people try, if possible, to get away with a nod of the head, avoid public speaking.

The main symptoms of neurotic stuttering in adults are manifested in the form of:

• Multiple repetitions of certain words, individual syllables, or even sounds.
• Unusual lengthening of sounds in words.
• An increase in the volume of speech, especially at the beginning of a word, not associated with semantic or emotional load.
• A noticeable tense expression on the face and overly tense neck muscles when talking.
• Feeling short of breath when talking, spasmodic breathing.
• Frequent desire to avoid communication.

Very often, a stuttering person becomes noticeably nervous before starting a conversation or gets upset if he needs to communicate in public.

Forms

Stuttering in adults can be divided into several types according to the following characteristics:

• Course of the disease.
• Clinical manifestations of the disease (etiology).
• Characteristics of spasms of speech muscles.

Depending on the nature of the disease, the following types of stuttering can be distinguished:

1. Permanent.

Once a speech disorder occurs, it is present in any situation that requires communication through speech.

1. Wavy.

This type of stuttering is characterized by the fact that speech problems periodically disappear and reappear. This is usually associated with emotional situations, strong excitement.

1. Recurrent or recurrent.

Stuttering may disappear for a long period of time without showing any symptoms, and then return again.

Based on the characteristics of the convulsions, there are 3 types of stuttering:

• Clonic stuttering in adults, when multiple spasms of the speech muscles, one after another, cause involuntary duplication of consonants, individual syllables and even words.
• Tonic stuttering is associated with prolonged, strong contraction of the muscles of the mouth and throat, which leads to delayed speech, extended pauses between words, repetition of vowel sounds and some consonants (in Russian they are called sonorants).
• Mixed type with manifestations of symptoms of the previous 2 types.

And finally, according to clinical manifestations, stuttering can be divided into 2 types:

• Neurotic stuttering in adults or logoneurosis, which is caused by stressful situations.
• Neuro-like (organic) stuttering due to the development of organic brain damage (oxygen starvation, birth injuries, strokes, tumor and inflammatory processes in the brain, etc.). The symptoms of such stuttering are stable and do not depend on the emotional state. Usually, speech impairment in such patients is accompanied by convulsions and twitching of the facial muscles, additional movements of the head, fingers and the entire body that do not have emotional confirmation.

Logoneurosis can be either permanent or temporary, depending on the psychological state of the patient. If a person is nervous or worried, the symptoms of stuttering may intensify. And, conversely, a state of rest reduces the manifestations of speech pathology. Sometimes, in order for a person to stop stuttering, it is enough to give him warm tea or a small amount of alcohol, let him listen to relaxing music, or simply psychologically support and calm him down.

Neurotic stuttering is easily corrected and treated, however, it requires timely professional help to avoid unwanted consequences and complications. If treatment is not started in time, stuttering can become chronic, when a person has established incorrect behavior patterns and speech skills. Over time, the patient may develop a fear of communication, causing severe anxiety and the associated appearance of stuttering symptoms. In addition, speech disorders may be accompanied by nervous reactions of the face and body, self-doubt and rapid fatigue from talking appear, and the mood worsens.

Perhaps, this is the reason why stuttering in adults, which has its roots in childhood, is much more difficult and takes longer to treat. Whatever the initial cause, neurotic or organic, the disease does not go away on its own with age, but becomes persistent, which significantly complicates treatment. This means that treatment should be started at the first signs of stuttering in childhood.

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Diagnostics adult stuttering

Do not rush to diagnose yourself or your family with stuttering. Small pauses between words during a conversation, rare repetitions of words and syllables are not an indicator of stuttering in adults. Such minor speech disorders may indicate strong excitement, haste or, conversely, thoughtfulness. Some aspects of speech (singsong, extended pauses between words) may be distinctive features of a certain race or geographic region. Temperament can also contribute to changes in speech characteristics.

A preliminary diagnosis of stuttering can be made or refuted by following a couple of tests:

1. Count the number of unnecessary pauses by pronouncing a text of 100 words. Up to 7 pauses is normal. More than 10 pauses are a high probability of developing speech pathology.
2. Observe the facial expression. If the facial muscles look very tense when speaking, there is a possibility of speech impairment. This is also indicated by the presence of pauses between words lasting from 1 to 30 seconds.

These tests are not exact methods of research, and are only a reason to start a more thorough professional diagnostics. Moreover, it is not enough to diagnose "stuttering", it is also necessary to determine what type (neurotic or neurosis-like) this speech disorder belongs to, since the correctness and effectiveness of the chosen treatment methods will depend on this.

To establish a correct diagnosis, a specialist doctor may prescribe various tests (blood and urine), as well as instrumental diagnostics, which allows identifying organic brain damage at various stages. Instrumental methods in this case include MRI (tomography) of the brain and electroencephalogram (EEG).

And yet it is not enough to distinguish between the two types of stuttering in adults. It is important to identify the cause of the speech disorder in order to understand which treatment methods will be most effective. It is differential diagnostics with the participation of a speech therapist, psychologist, neurologist, psychiatrist based on a complete anamnesis and the results of instrumental and laboratory studies that can recreate a complete picture of the disease, establish or refute a hereditary predisposition to stuttering and develop a plan for effectively combating this pathology.

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Treatment adult stuttering

The problem of stuttering has several aspects in its solution, which are related to physiology, socialization and mental state of a person. And only complex treatment, covering all these aspects, can give good results. Home treatment with herbs and spells alone, which many parents of stuttering children tend to, leads to the fact that the problem is only aggravated by the transition to adulthood, when treatment is already complicated by the wrong habits and communication skills developed over the years.

The choice of methods for treating stuttering in adults depends on whether the speech disorder is neurotic or organic. The organic type of stuttering is a topic for a separate conversation. Its treatment comes down to combating the problem that caused it. And since the cause of such stuttering is serious disorders in the functioning of the brain, often complicated by a genetic factor, then the treatment of stuttering and its root cause can drag on for many months and years.

Neurotic stuttering in adults is treated much easier and more successfully. But for it, a comprehensive approach is of great importance, including medication and folk treatment prescribed by a neurologist, as well as systematic work with a speech therapist, psychologist and psychotherapist, who will help the patient restore the normal rhythm of speech, overcome fears, join the normal rhythm of life, and establish communication.

The method of treatment with medications aims to relieve convulsive syndrome and stabilize the work of the central nervous system, which is responsible for the onset of various nervous reactions. Tablets for stuttering in adults can be divided into 3 groups: nootropic (improves brain function), sedatives (reduce nervous tension) and antispasmodics (have an anticonvulsant effect).

The first group of drugs includes the nootropic drug "Phenibut", which has a calming, psychostimulating effect. In addition, "Phenibut" prevents the formation of blood clots in the brain vessels, the destruction of body cells and promotes their regeneration (renewal).

Doctors can prescribe this drug as a therapy for both organic and neurotic stuttering to relieve anxiety-neurotic states, expressed in the form of fears, facial tics, fear of communication, etc.

Dosage and method of administration. Phenibut tablets can be taken at any time of the day, preferably after meals, swallowing the tablet whole. But the dose of the drug (the usual single dose is 1-3 tablets), the number of doses per day (frequency of administration) and courses of treatment, as well as the duration of treatment can only be prescribed by the attending physician, based on the indications, the patient's age and the tolerance of the components of the drug.

Contraindications to the use of the drug are pregnancy and lactation, liver failure, hypersensitivity to the components of the drug. The drug has virtually no side effects. At the beginning of taking the tablets, drowsiness may be observed. The same symptom, especially in combination with nausea and vomiting, may indicate an overdose of the drug.

When taking Phenibut for a long time, it is necessary to monitor morphological parameters of blood and liver function. It can affect the reaction rate.

Sedatives include Glycine, Afobazol and Grandaxin. Glycine acts as a regulator of metabolic processes in the brain, while Grandaxin and Afobazol have a pronounced sedative effect (tranquilizers).

"Afobazol" is a tranquilizer that does not cause drug addiction. Its action is aimed at eliminating anxiety, fear, apprehension, and related nervous, muscular and respiratory reactions. It is recommended to take the drug after meals in the amount of 1-2 tablets (10 mg) three times a day. Usually, the course of treatment lasts 14-28 days, but if necessary, the doctor can increase the dosage (up to 60 mg per day) and the duration of the course (up to 3 months).

Contraindications to the use of Afobazol may include pregnancy and breastfeeding, individual intolerance to the drug or its individual components, and age under 18 years. Side effects may include possible reactions of the immune system with increased sensitivity to the drug.

Taking herbal sedatives such as Dormiplant and Novo-Passit also has a positive effect on the nervous system.

"Novo-Passit" is a preparation based on a rich herbal collection (valerian, lemon balm, St. John's wort, hawthorn, etc.) with a good calming (sedative) and anti-anxiety (anxiolytic) effect. It is available in the form of tablets or solution (syrup).

Dosage and method of administration. The usual single dose is 1 tablet or a teaspoon of syrup (5 ml), pure or diluted with water. The drug should be taken three times a day before meals. If taking the drug causes depression and oppression, the morning and evening doses are halved, and the daytime dose remains the same. If necessary, the doctor may double the standard dose. If nausea occurs, it is better to take the drug with food.

Contraindications for the use of Novo-Passit: age under 12 years, myasthenia (genetic neuromuscular disease), individual intolerance to the drug or its components. Side effects: gastrointestinal disorders (heartburn, sometimes nausea and vomiting, changes in stool density), less often dizziness and drowsiness, as well as allergic reactions and weakness.

Precautions. During treatment with the drug, you should not drink alcoholic beverages. Caution should be exercised by patients with liver, stomach and intestinal diseases. The drug negatively affects concentration.

If there is no noticeable improvement within a week or if symptoms worsen, you should immediately consult a doctor to prescribe a different medication.

Of the antispasmodics for stuttering in adults, doctors most often prescribe "Mydocalm", "Magnerot" and "Finlepsin" in combination with vitamin preparations of group B.

The anticonvulsant drug "Magnerot" replenishes the magnesium deficiency in the body, which is the cause of convulsions and increased excitability. Taking the drug can be divided into 2 stages:

• Seven-day course: 2 tablets 3 times a day,
• Starting from the second week: 1 tablet 2-3 times a day.

The full course of treatment is from 2 to 4 weeks, sometimes more. The tablets are taken with a small amount of water before meals.

Contraindications: kidney and liver diseases, bladder stones, lactose intolerance and lactase deficiency, age under 18, and individual intolerance to the drug. Side effects: among the most common ones, we can highlight: changes in the frequency and quality of stool and immune system reactions.

In addition to drug treatment, patients with logoneurosis are recommended psychotherapeutic sessions using sedative methods, hypnosis treatment, and acupuncture. Such sessions help patients cope with the fear of speech, increase self-esteem, correctly accept their problem, and take responsibility for overcoming it.

Then, classes with a speech therapist are added to the therapy, who either corrects existing speech skills or instills new, correct ones. Approximately half an hour after these classes, massage procedures are prescribed. Massage for stuttering in adults is presented in the form of reflexology (point massage) and osteopathy (soft massage effect on muscles) procedures, which have a positive effect on the articulatory vocal apparatus and the respiratory system.

At the third stage of treatment of stuttering in adults, therapeutic exercises, swimming pool, and sauna are added to the above procedures.

There are many different methods of complex treatment of the problem of stuttering with various speech training systems, ranging from one-on-one communication to public speaking within a group (a group of patients with one problem).

Physiotherapeutic treatment of stuttering, in addition to reflexology and osteopathy, includes:

• Procedures that normalize the tone of facial muscles (darsonvalization of the muscles of the face and neck - exposure to muscles with alternating current of high frequency and voltage, but low strength and short-term exposure to sinusoidal currents on the larynx area)
• Procedures for the restoration and optimization of central nervous system functions (electrosleep therapy, therapeutic baths and massage, franklinization, alpha massage, various types of relaxation).

Treatment of stuttering in adults at home

Many patients, and most often their relatives, are inclined to treat stuttering at home. Such, frankly speaking, irresponsible attitude to the problem of speech disorder can lead to worsening of the situation. After all, at home there is no possibility to implement a comprehensive approach to the treatment of stuttering in adults. In addition, the lack of control by the doctor can affect the patient's attitude to treatment, the systematicity of taking medications and performing procedures.

However, if you insist on home treatment, you first need to learn some elements of self-help, such as auto-training (self-hypnosis), self-massage of the face and neck (therapeutic!), as well as breathing exercises, for example, according to the Strelnikova method, which is based on the use of yoga elements.

Breathing exercises are aimed at normalizing both nasal and oral breathing, because without the skills to optimize breathing during a conversation, it is very difficult for a patient to cope with stuttering. Various breathing exercises for stuttering in adults, according to Strelnikova's system, should be based on correct breathing during the execution of movements: a sharp inhalation and a long, calm, silent exhalation, active participation of the diaphragm in the breathing process. All active movements (squats, head turns, torso bends) are performed only on inhalation.

Speech gymnastics at home. Such gymnastics helps to develop correct breathing during conversation.

1. Try reading the Russian folk tale “The Turnip,” taking a breath between words.
2. Taking a short breath with your mouth open, pronounce one of the vowel sounds as you exhale until there is enough air in your lungs.
3. Try doing the same with several vowel sounds, pronouncing them one after another.
4. Try to count to 10 as you exhale, gradually increasing the count.
5. Read various sayings, proverbs and tongue twisters in one breath, which helps train your breathing and help you get rid of stuttering in adults and children more quickly.

Examples of tongue twisters for practicing speech and breathing:

• There is grass in the yard, and firewood on the grass: once firewood, twice firewood – don’t chop firewood on the grass in the yard.
• The advertisement for potholders has a seam with a grip, but the potholders without grip were snapped up.
• Our head has overheaded your head, overheaded you.

In addition to proverbs and tongue twisters, you can try singing songs you know from childhood. Cheerful and kind, they will lift your spirits, help you relax as much as possible, and teach you how to breathe correctly when talking.

Folk remedies for stuttering in adults

What does traditional medicine offer us to help cure stuttering in adults faster? Aromatherapy, self-massage, recipes for mixtures, infusions and decoctions of herbs and fruits, honey recipes, as well as spells and prayers - these are the main methods of treating stuttering, known since ancient times.

It is worth noting that they are unlikely to be able to effectively cope with the problem of stuttering on their own, but in combination with traditional medicine methods, they will undoubtedly give a positive effect. Some folk methods, such as spells or prayers, may seem dubious to many, but they also have a right to exist. Since logoneurosis is based on mental trauma, faith is an important factor in treatment. The patient must believe that he can be cured by these methods. Spells and prayers are a kind of instilling confidence in a person and his abilities. If a person does not believe in the effectiveness of these methods, then there is no point in using them.

Aromatherapy is another matter. Faith is not required here, all the work will be done by essential oils, which have a sedative effect, are able to relieve nervous tension, calm fears. Such effects are possessed by oils of bergamot and pine, rose and sandalwood, rosemary and basil, thyme and wormwood, sage and geranium, and, of course, lavender. To do this, you need to drop the oil on a handkerchief and inhale its aroma for some time. This procedure should be carried out three times a day.

Aromatic oils mixed with kefir can also be used for baths. To do this, take 100 g of the fermented milk product and add 5-6 drops of any of the above essential oils. Add the oil-kefir mixture directly to the bath with warm water.

Stuttering in adults can be treated with fruit decoctions. A compote made from apple peels boiled in clean water for 5 minutes has a pronounced calming effect. You can add lemon balm infusion to it or simply drink it with sugar or honey.

By the way, honey also has a remarkable sedative effect, known since ancient times. For example, Avicenna recommended lubricating the tongue with a mixture of honey and mumiyo 3 times a day (the proportion for the mixture is 5:1).

A similar treatment option can be found in "grandmother's" recipes. You need to prepare 2 mixtures of mumiyo and honey in different proportions (1:8 and 1:5). You need to take 0.2 grams of mumiyo. The first mixture (concentrated) is taken in the morning, the second (weaker) - in the evening for 4 months.

A mixture of viburnum, lemon, white cabbage and rosehip juices, taken in equal proportions with the addition of double the amount of honey (1:1:1:1:1:2) also has a positive effect on stuttering. The mixture should be taken twice a day: in the morning and in the evening, 1 tbsp., washed down with seeds or almonds.

Herbs in the form of decoctions and infusions are also effective remedies for stuttering in adults. And many herbal recipes only confirm this. Here are some of them:

• Recipe 1. Ruta fragrant. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 5 g of chopped herb and let it boil for 5 minutes. Strain the decoction and cool slightly. Keep the hot decoction in your mouth until it cools completely (2-3 hours). Repeat the procedure very often (at least 6 times a day).
• Recipe 2. White ash. Pour boiling water over the plant leaves and leave for 20 minutes, then strain. Use the infusion to rinse your mouth (3-5 minutes) 5-6 times a day.
• Recipe 3. Soothing collection. Prepare a herbal collection of chamomile, mint, nettle and valerian, pour a teaspoon of the herbal mixture with a glass of boiling water and keep it warm for 15 minutes. Drink the infusion half a glass twice a day.
• Recipe 4. Herbal collection for inhibiting nervous system reactions. Birch leaves, licorice, lemon balm, sweet clover and calendula flowers are taken in equal proportions. The chopped herbs are poured with boiling water and heated in a water bath without boiling. The infusion, infused for 2 hours and filtered through gauze, is taken before meals 5-6 times a day.
• Recipe 5. "Intoxicating" decoction. To prepare a medicine that relieves cerebral spasms, take a glass of any wine and bring to a boil together with a pinch of goose cinquefoil. Infuse until completely cooled, then strain. Drink the decoction warm. Instead of wine, you can use milk in the decoction, but in no case water, which reduces the therapeutic effect of the remedy to zero.

This is only a small part of all the folk medicine recipes that our ancestors used with varying degrees of effectiveness. And the fact that they have reached our times speaks in their favor.

There are many folk remedies and methods of traditional medicine that can cure stuttering in adults as part of complex therapy. However, a visible positive result can only be achieved with a strong desire of the patient to get rid of the rhythmic speech defect. Relatives and friends can provide significant psychological support and help in treating a patient with speech disorders. Treatment of an adult can be long-term and one must be prepared for this, be patient and activate one's willpower. And then victory over the disease will definitely come.

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