| I am sure that I am not alone in the fact that I have a | | | | always struggled to talk fluently at interviews, due to |
| large army of demons in my head. These demons are | | | | the pressure factor. |
| always talking to me and trying to advise me about | | | | I would be able to speak quite well when I was drunk |
| how to react to different situations. For many years I | | | | and this is when I would have the confidence to talk to |
| listened and took their advice, these years were not | | | | the ladies. On several occasions a woman has given |
| exactly happy ones and I have now come to realise | | | | me their phone number and I would tell them that I |
| that these demons are not my friends but are actually | | | | would call them to arrange a night out. The next day |
| my enemy. | | | | though, when sober, the demons would remind me that |
| I had many issues in my life that had a negative affect | | | | making a phone call is what I find the hardest form of |
| on my levels of self-esteem. The demons used these | | | | speech task and to simply not bother. |
| issues to get to me and to play their mind games. For | | | | As previously stated, I used to listen to these demons |
| this article, I am going to describe my stuttering | | | | and suffice it to say I did not go on my first date until I |
| demons and how I eventually destroyed them. The | | | | was eighteen years of age. |
| advice can be used for whatever type of demon you | | | | Things had to and were about to change. After |
| may have. | | | | reading many self-help books, I realised what I had |
| At the age of four, I developed a stutter which would | | | | been doing wrong. I should not be listening to these |
| continue to affect my speech for the next eighteen | | | | demons, in fact what I need to do is the opposite of |
| years of my life. I was aware of what I could and | | | | what they tell me. Steve don't go to that party, OK |
| could not say and was also aware of the social | | | | then I will. Steve don't phone that lady up, OK I will, etc. |
| situations in which I was more likely to stutter. | | | | I am not trying to say that this is easy to do. I am |
| If I was asked a question by for example a friend, I | | | | happy to say that I have eradicated my speech |
| would think of the answer but before I would have a | | | | demons and am now fluent, however I do still have |
| chance to say it, a voice would appear. This voice or | | | | demons in other areas of my life. There are not nearly |
| what I call my demons would advise me not to say | | | | as many as there have been in the past and I am |
| that word and to substitute it for a different word. | | | | slowly hopefully killing them all. |
| If I was invited out to say a party, my demons would | | | | I treat it like a war. There are many battles and I have |
| advise me not to go, as there would be a lot of people | | | | to say that I do not win them all. I talk to my demons all |
| there that I did not know. They would remind me that I | | | | the time and especially when they win one of these |
| found it difficult talking to people which I did not know. | | | | type battles. I tell them that they may have won this |
| At one stage in my life, I decided that I wanted a | | | | particular battle but that I will win the overall war. |
| career change as I was not happy in the role that I | | | | You may possibly think that I am a bit of a freak after |
| was in. My demons reminded me, that to find | | | | reading this article. I frankly do not care, I am happier |
| alternative employment meant going through the whole | | | | now than I have ever been. |
| interview process again. They continued that I had | | | | Good luck in your quest to improve your own life. |