Craig Coffee https://usedtostutter.com/reader/book/editions/final-2026-09-22-ca5394386fc0/chapters/never-push-through-a-block Craig Coffee permits readers and their AI assistants to retrieve the complete book, keep a copy for the reader, and use it to discuss and answer questions about the book with attribution.Public reading is separate from foundation-model training. Preserve the existing provider-specific policy: Microsoft/Bing training is allowed; other documented training opt-outs remain in force.

https://usedtostutter.com/reader/book/editions/final-2026-09-22-ca5394386fc0/chapters/never-push-through-a-block

Chapter 17. NEVER PUSH THROUGH A BLOCK It's critical to avoid unnecessary hard stuttering blocks. Never, ever push through a block. Never push through a hard stuttering block. Why? Because when you do push through a hard stuttering block, it will f*ck up your speech for the rest of the day. Your speech will be terrible. It will be bad. You will not have good speech for the rest of the day. How do I know? Because I've lived that life for so many years. I know when you think back upon your own times and experiences, when you pushed through a hard block with your speech, your speech got f*cked up too. Never push through a hard block unless it was a true emergency and somehow you had to tell authorities about something. That's the only exception. What the f*ck am I talking about, Craig? Of course stutterers push through blocks. That's what we do, you'll say. Nah. I never push through a block, because it f*cks up your speech day for the rest of the day. Guarantee it. I know what happened to me. I know it's happened to hundreds of people I've talked to. We're all the same. Why do you push? If you're facing that block, it's because there's fear in your mind. Because that tells me that you're not being present in the conversation, which means your body's here, but your mind is someplace else. You're thinking about, what am I to say? What am I to stutter on? What am I to not say? See, when you're blocking, when you're in the moment where you need to say the word, want to say a certain word or your name, which we block on a lot, you force, you push it out. Why? Well, let me take a big step back. The reason why you're trying to push through the block is because you feel intimidated. It's because your speech is not good. It's because you feel scared. It's because you feel 2 inches tall, and you're in a speaking situation that requires you to talk. See, it's impossible to have good speech for the rest of the day once you push through it. Because, let's be honest, how do you feel, and how did I feel when I pushed through a block? It felt like sh*t. You felt pathetic, you felt embarrassed, you felt ashamed, and then the real pain starts. You don't just do it and then forget about it. Not when you stutter like you do and I did. No. When you stutter, you think about the painful blocks you push through all day long. Every place in your mind, and you cringe about it, and you beat yourself up. I did it too. Don't feel embarrassed. I was the same way as you. Most of the time when I've engaged people and talked to them who stutter about why they do this, they tell me the same things. It's pride. Because Craig, I want to prove to myself I can say my name. I want to prove to myself I can order the food I want. But what happens is you block, or they block, for 30 seconds or 45 seconds or a minute. It's this long, embarrassing block, and you feel sh*tty about it. That's not winning. That's not proving to yourself that you can say it. That's proving to yourself that you can stutter through a word. But it does nothing. Well, it actually hurts your fluency for the rest of the day. So when you push through the block, it reinforces that you feel 2 inches tall, right? It reinforces in your mind that your speech is sh*tty. It reinforces that you have no confidence, right? It reinforces that you're someone who stutters. It's reinforcing all the wrong sh*t at all the wrong times. I would rather word substitute and say a different word It's critical to avoid unnecessary hard stuttering blocks. Pushing out your real name through a hard stuttering block just to prove you can say it made me feel like sh*t. One of the major philosophies that I have is fluency above all else. Fluency at any cost. For me, I want to be fluent. For me, I had to be fluent. I'm gonna talk about what some people never discuss, or they're ashamed to. Word substitution. Well, Craig, what does word substitution have anything to do with pushing through blocks? Stay on topic, man. Well, this is on topic. See, when you're thinking strategically about it, the word substitution is huge. If you pay close attention to me when I talk, you'll see I've done it too. See, I would rather word substitute and say a different word, a word that I can maybe say without blocking, instead of blocking on a word and forcing it out. Substituting a word, no big deal at all. Taking pride to make sure you say the word, you'll never get good speech in the real world that way. So hey, if some people say word swapping is bad, I actually do not agree. I think it's fine, because I would rather see someone word swap and not block than block. Because why? Fluency at all costs. Because one block, and the day is done. Following a hard block, nothing recovers that day. That day is f*cked. Unless you have to say it, like for a doctor Don't be a pessimistic piker. Never push through a block. So here's what I say, is just drop it. So I would not even start it again, unless you have to say it, like for a doctor or something.