DOES STRESS INCREASE STUTTERING?
“Stress” is another vague, simplistic term. Stress has never been proven to increase or decrease stuttering. Specific types of stress — e.g., time pressure — seem to increase stuttering. However, emotional arousal often decreases stuttering. Any stutterer can tell you that he has “good days” and “bad days” regarding fluency. Stutterers usually say it’s “stress” or “not getting enough sleep” or something. No research has been done on whether sleep deprivation increases stuttering. One explanation of “good days/bad days” is varying levels of dopamine in the brain. The neurotransmitter is affected by several factors, including diet.
