Sudden stuttering in adults: what should you do?

Sudden stuttering in adults: talk to your doctor first

Most people who stutter began as children. When stuttering appears in an adult who has never stuttered before, it's something different, and it needs to be examined. Sudden stuttering in adults can be linked to illness or injury in the brain, for example a blood clot or a blow to the head. More rarely there can be other explanations, and it's the doctor's job to find out. What it is in your case, only a doctor can establish.

Call your GP and ask for an appointment. Don't wait to see whether it passes. It needn't be serious, but you won't know until you've been examined.

Useful things to bring to the doctor

• When it began, and whether it came from one day to the next or little by little.
• Whether you've recently started new medication or had a dose changed.
• Whether you've hit your head, been ill or been through something very stressful.
• Whether you've noticed other changes in your body or in your speech.
• Whether you stuttered as a child.

Don't stop taking medication on your own, even if you think it's playing a part. Talk to the doctor first.

Call your local emergency number if there are also signs of a stroke

Sudden problems with speech can in some cases be a sign of a stroke. Then it's urgent. Call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US) straight away if the speech problems come together with one or more of these signs:

• sudden weakness or paralysis in an arm or a leg
• the face droops on one side
• your speech is incoherent or you can't find the words

Don't wait for a doctor's appointment, and don't get behind the wheel yourself. Call even if the symptoms pass again after a short time. It's better to call once too often.

If you stuttered as a child and it comes back

Many people who find themselves suddenly stuttering as adults have in fact stuttered before. Perhaps you stuttered as a child and then it went away, or it became so mild that you forgot about it. When it returns many years later, it can feel as if it has come out of the blue.

Stuttering fluctuates through life. It can become more noticeable in periods when there's more pressure: a new job, more meetings, too little sleep or a difficult time at home. The pressure isn't the cause of the stuttering, but it can make it more audible.

Some people have also kept their stutter hidden for years by swapping words and steering round certain situations. The day that's no longer possible, it sounds like something new, even though it has been there all along. You can read more about that in our guide to stuttering in adults.

If you're not sure whether it's the old stutter or something else, talk to the doctor anyway. That's especially true if it came on very abruptly, or if you have other symptoms.

What can be behind it when you suddenly start stuttering?

Ordinary stuttering begins in childhood. The exact cause isn't known, but researchers have found differences in the brains of people who stutter, and heredity plays a large part. You can read about that in the article on why people stutter. Stuttering that appears for the first time in an adult is rarer and has to be understood differently.

We won't guess at what lies behind it in your case, and you shouldn't do so yourself on the basis of an internet search either. Two people can experience the same thing and have completely different explanations. That's why the order matters: the doctor first, the rest afterwards.

One thing we can say for certain. It's nothing to be ashamed of or to hide. Tell the people closest to you what you're experiencing, and tell the doctor exactly how it is.

Where do you get help once you've seen the doctor?

What happens next depends on what the doctor finds. The doctor can refer you for further tests or to a specialist if that's needed.

A speech and language therapist

A speech and language therapist works with speech and communication and can assess what is happening in your speech. Ask your GP or local health service what is available for adults. We've written more about seeing a speech and language therapist as an adult.

Someone to talk to

It can be lonely when your speech suddenly lets you down. A national stuttering association in your country, such as STAMMA in the UK, is a good place to find knowledge and meet others.

Is The McGuire Programme for you?

The McGuire Programme is an intensive course for anyone aged 14 or over who stutters. All the instructors stutter themselves and have taken the course. The course is not medical treatment, and it doesn't replace an examination. So if your stutter has only just appeared, we're not the first place you should go.

Once you've seen the doctor, you're welcome to call or write. Then we'll have a chat about what you're experiencing and whether the course is relevant for you. If it isn't, we'll tell you honestly.

If it turns out to be your childhood stutter that has come back, the course is for you if you want to work on it. It lasts four days, from Thursday 08:00 to Sunday 14:00. You learn costal breathing and techniques such as Hit and Hold and Block release, and you use them on the phone and in the street. The goal is eloquence: saying what you want, when you want. It isn't a cure, and it takes daily practice afterwards. You can see the upcoming courses in Aarhus, Malmö and Oslo.

Frequently asked questions