Courage is Born from Facing Fear Overcoming a Stutter - Joanna’s Story Stuttering is very frustrating at the best of times, but for me, when it was at its worst, it could get really bad. I didn’t normally speak at school - my friends were my voice who even answered my name in the register. I would never answer the phone or make appointments either - my Mum did all that for me. Whenever I was in a difficult situation, I would just freeze. My heart would pound at family meals, and I would panic when it was my turn to speak – again, my Mum would order for me. I felt frustrated as words wouldn’t come out when I wanted them to. I felt embarrassed when I couldn’t get my words out - especially in public places and on the phone. I also felt angry - I used to say to myself “why me?”, “why do I have to have a stutter?”.
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I then joined the McGuire Programme to gain more confidence and take control of my speech. I also wanted to do things for myself rather than having to ask my family and friends to be my voice - it can get quite embarrassing when you are 24! 44 Together we Inspire
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