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Rhotacism Problem

  • 23-06-2015 09:05PM
    #1
    whereswolf123
    Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1 ✭


    Okay So since I was a kid I haven't been able to say my r's it didn't really bother me until a couple of months ago when someone laughed at me. This self hate has been building up inside since this moment and it has also affected me in a social aspect, I now find it hard to talk to others and try and avoid saying words with R in them, I live in constant fear of being ridiculed for the way I speak. I can almost pinpoint the moment when I started speaking like this in my childhood. And I know you might say oh its not about what other people think because I don't think I'll be able to feel confident again until I can speak properly.
    16yo male btw, any advice appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    EoghanIRL
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,080 ✭✭✭EoghanIRL


    Hi OP,

    I am sorry to hear that you feel upset.
    People laughing at the way you speak is a form of bullying and you shouldn't have to put up with it. Important thing with bullying is to say STOP.
    They need to grow up if they think it is funny. It isn't acceptable and is clearly affecting your self confidence. The fact that they laughed in your face says a lot about a person.

    If someone at school laughed at you then you should report them for bullying.
    Not if it was a once off but if it is continuous then you should report it.

    Re your speech. Is there some type of speech therapy you can avail of? Speech therapists are very efficient these days at helping to correct speech problems.

    You need to come to terms with it yourself. You need to be ok with yourself and how you say your Rs. Even though it is easier said than done , if you are content with yourself then it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you.
    Having speech problems is common.

    I'll leave you in the words of Dr.Seuss
    "Be who you are and say what you feel,
    Because those who mind don't matter
    And those who matter don't mind"


  • #3
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 31,750 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    I had difficulty with my speech when I was younger. I went to a good bit of speech therapy. In fact it was actually 'R' that caused me the most trouble. I used mix it up with the letter 'W'. So instead of saying red I'd say wed or rain I'd say wain. Well basically it the only way I learnt was to take my time and think before I said anything. I also had to do a lot of tongue exercises in order to to pronounce the letter R correctly. My speech now is very good. The odd time I might slip up but I know instantly now if I do. At school/being around people, did people laugh at me they did and did it bother me. It did but I realised after a while that these people would laugh at anybody over any little issue.
    There might be videos online that might help you if you look or you could look into getting some speech therapy.


  • #4
    bp
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,731 ✭✭✭bp


    Same here...still do if a words beginning with R and W come together: wrong way round etc.

    I found speech therapy great. I am in my 30s now but found it difficult when I was younger. I pause for a second before using an r to get my tongue around the letter.


  • #5
    Rubberchikken
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,203 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    hi op
    sorry you experienced that treatment from someone. it reflects back on them when they behave in such a poor way so try to ignore them.

    a visit to your gp might be able to help. there's speech therapy available and it might be a big help.
    take care


  • #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    I had a pretty bad speech impediment until I was a teenager. Similar to you, I had an issue with R and also with vowel sounds. So, for example, bored would come out as "bird" and if I ever went horse riding, it would confuse the hell out of people, because it'd come out as "hearse widing". R would sound like ah. And so on, you get the picture.

    Now if people talk to me, they really can't tell that I ever had one, because I went through some pretty intense speech therapy.

    I know exactly how bad it can be and the mocking you can get. Look into whether there's some speech therapists near you. I can't remember the exact age as to when I got it sorted, but it would have been in my mid to early to mid teens.

    There are some words I still have difficulty with - variety and " an anomaly " can bugger off, but I've gotten so much better at being able to sound them out.


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  • #7
    Roselm
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 753 ✭✭✭Roselm


    whereswolf123 wrote: »
    Okay So since I was a kid I haven't been able to say my r's it didn't really bother me until a couple of months ago when someone laughed at me. This self hate has been building up inside since this moment and it has also affected me in a social aspect, I now find it hard to talk to others and try and avoid saying words with R in them, I live in constant fear of being ridiculed for the way I speak. I can almost pinpoint the moment when I started speaking like this in my childhood. And I know you might say oh its not about what other people think because I don't think I'll be able to feel confident again until I can speak properly.
    16yo male btw, any advice appreciated.

    You and your parents can refer you to speech therapy with the HSE. Contact your local health centre and they should be able to direct you to the nearest public SLT department.
    The other option is private SLT or you can do both ( as public may have waiting lists-these differ depending on where you live.)
    Www.iasltpp.com lists private slts working around the country.

    For health centre contact numbers go to Www.hse.ie and go to "Health Centres" in the dark blue list of options.


  • #8
    Diamond Doll
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,344 ✭✭✭Diamond Doll


    Have you ever been checked for a tongue-tie? This can be the cause of it in some cases, as far as I know it's a fairly simple procedure to get it snipped if this is the case - however, follow-up speech therapy would still be required. Either way, your GP would be your first port of call for referral for a consultant and/or speech therapy.

    Both my brother and my own GP suffer from this, and I have to say, you barely notice it with either of them. I think it's because they're both brimming with healthy self-confidence. In fact I think I only notice it with my GP because I'm used to it with my brother and it reminds me of him. It certainly hasn't held either of them back in life, either personally or professionally.

    Please do see your GP in case it's something that a simple procedure and/or speech therapy will fix. But in the meantime, please don't let it get to you. I think we all could do with being kinder to ourselves. Think of it this way, if you met a stranger with a lisp, would you think any less of them for it? You'd be pretty mean-spirited if you did. Your condition is no different. Be as kind to yourself as you would be to others. Don't avoid saying words with Rs in them, just speak as you normally would. If someone is so cruel as to mock you for it, you'll just know to avoid their company in future, and you'll walk away the bigger and better person.


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