What Causes Stuttering?

Stress

While stress itself does not cause stuttering, it can exacerbate it. A stressful event can be considered a trigger to the disorder. For instance, if a child already has a genetic predisposition to stuttering, a stressful event may be what causes the disorder to appear. A stressful event is considered an environmental factor, while the stuttering is physiological. A stressful event does not have to be categorized as a life-altering event but rather can be a situation that evokes fear and anxiety. If someone is prone to stuttering, speaking in public or in front of other people may be stressful for them, and is a mild life event to deal with. This pressure, in turn, may cause them to stutter more often. Other examples of life-altering stressful events include family issues or separation, bullying, the death of a loved one, or moving homes and schools.

Keep reading to reveal how emotional trauma can cause stuttering.

Emotional Trauma

Stuttering caused by emotional trauma is sometimes also termed as psychogenic. Psychogenic stuttering can occur due to psychological trauma and can occur in children and adults, as well. The onset is typically sudden and occurs directly after severe psychological trauma. Chronic depression can be a contributing factor to psychogenic stuttering. Researchers have theorized that this type of stuttering may not be as sudden as it appears. In adults where stuttering has psychogenic factors, there was often a stuttering disorder that was present in childhood but was in remission before the trauma occurred. Working with a mental health counselor and a speech-language pathologist may help resolve the relationship between the trauma and the onset of stuttering.

Next, uncover how a brain injury can cause a person to stutter.