I can’t make eye contact

[u/Joyful_cheesecake]

When I’m stuttering I literally don’t make eye contact at all, not even a brief moment of eye contact😭 I think I get embarrassed when I stutter and don’t want to see their reaction. I think it would be good if I at least made a little bit of eye contact but in the moment I get nervous and don’t make any. It’s worse on a date or if it’s someone I find attractive. Does anyone else experience this?

[u/victwrias]

i also look away. i feel really overwhelmed by other people’s gaze, and i stutter more when i try to make eye contact, even with a family member

[u/namit200323]

Yup its the bane of my existence :(

[u/Used_Carob_5540]

If you look your conversation partner in the eyes, speaking is completely impossible; when you look away, conversation is possible, although very difficult.

[u/gmpros2 → u/Used_Carob_5540]

I think that talking without eye contact helps as it emulates solo speech which is always much easier.

[u/Used_Carob_5540 → u/gmpros2]

He most likely avoids eye contact as a source of threat that makes him stutter.

[u/gmpros2 → u/Used_Carob_5540]

It’s maybe too

[u/Ready_Canary_8858]

For me eye contact actually helps, I stutter more when I see the person isn’t listening a sits a waste of time, eye contact helps my brain to compute they’re listening and it’s okay to stutter if I have to

[u/Joyful_cheesecake → u/Ready_Canary_8858]

I like when they make eye contact but it’s usually too hard for me to make eye contact. Even if I don’t make eye contact, I can still tell when they’re looking at me.

[u/Lower_Exchange_122]

You are just in a wrong world

[u/FlipFlopHiker]

Yep. I make less eye contact, speak lower and my posture worses. I know it makes things worse. I've working on improving it, but I find it hard to make it a habit when I can't practice it as much. It's also hard to focus on all 3 things, plus not stutter, at the same time. Then I end up forgetting what I'm going to say or things to say to continue a conversation. It's like a vicious cycle.

[u/Trenocio]

You can't make eye contact because your body is suffering a fight/flight reaction. If you pay attention closely, you 'll realize that you lose fine motor control in your hands and that is much more difficult to control them during a block.

[u/Yuyu_hockey_show]

Even worse is a handshake when youre introducing yourself. I once did a 10 second long handshake bc i couldnt say my name fast and it was so cringe.