For Nathan, a young man from Co Armagh, living with a stammer has been a lifelong challenge – one he says has become more difficult as he’s grown older.
Now in his twenties, he is preparing to confront those fears head-on in My Stammer, My Story, a new BBC Northern Ireland documentary that follows young people determined to find ways to manage their speech and build confidence.
In Northern Ireland it is estimated that five percent of the adult population and one percent of children have a stammer affecting their speech.
My Stammer, My Story follows three young people as they discover ways to manage their stammer.
The show meets Courtney and Nathan, both in their twenties, who are taking part in an intensive, peer-led course designed by and for people who stammer.
Courtney has never met anyone in her community with a stammer and has often felt isolated and experienced cruel jokes from her peers. Nathan has lived with a stammer his whole life, but feels it has become worse since childhood.
Over three gruelling days, Courtney and Nathan confront their deepest fears during workshops, learn powerful breathing and speech control techniques, and are gently pushed to face the ultimate challenge, talking to strangers and delivering a public speech in Belfast city centre.
Seventeen-year-old Lily-Rose has lived with a stammer since she could speak. Alongside her mum Lisa, she reflects on how it has shaped her friendships, education, and sense of self.
Lily-Rose, a talented musician who doesn’t stammer when she sings, says she wants to know what it feels like to speak smoothly and is taking part in an experimental therapy focused on building confidence through consistent, small steps using eye movements.
While these young people know there is no quick fix or cure, in this film we witness what can be achieved through the power of perseverance, as they confront their fears and gain the confidence to speak up, in a world that doesn’t always have the patience to wait.
My Stammer, My Story, made by Triplevision Productions for BBC Northern Ireland, airs Monday 15 September at 10.40pm on BBC One Northern Ireland.
