Why Am I Stuttering All of a Sudden? Causes & Solutions Explained

You’re mid-conversation, and out of nowhere, you lose control of your speech muscles—what’s going on?

Stuttering is a speech disorder that interrupts the forward flow of speech. While the most common type of stuttering begins in childhood, a sudden stutter can emerge unexpectedly throughout the lifespan.

If you're wondering, "why am I stuttering all of a sudden?", we'll explore some possible reasons in this article.

We'll touch on causes ranging from neurological factors to medications, and the role anxiety can play. We'll also provide guidance for how to find a specialist, whether it is a speech therapist, neurologist, or other professional.

What “Sudden Stuttering” Means

If you've never stuttered before, and now find yourself stuck on certain words or sounds, there are a number of possible causes. Some of them are very serious, so if your stuttering is very sudden, stop reading this article and get checked out by a doctor!

• Developmental stuttering is the most common form of stuttering. Developmental stuttering occurs in early childhood but may come and go as you mature. Stuttering therapy can help, whether it's for preschoolers, children, teens, or adults. Support groups & group therapy are also helpful for many people.
• Neurogenic stuttering is stuttering that occurs as a result of a brain change such as a stroke or brain injury. Very rare in a child, more common in adults.
• Psychogenic stuttering is stuttering brought on by mental, rather than physical, causes. Also rare in a child, though it can happen. A child can also experience selective mutism, a disorder where the child will rarely speak at all.
• Idiopathic stuttering is stuttering with no clear cause. Most children stutter because of a family history of stuttering, while others may develop it with no apparent cause during their language development. It may come with secondary struggle behaviors, such as loss of eye contact or frequent pausing.

Is This Stuttering, or Something Else?

Everyone has some disfluency when they talk, but only some kinds of disfluency are truly stuttering. Stuttering includes:

• Repetitions: repeating certain syllables, especially at the start of words.
• Prolongations: stretching the first sound of words or sentences.
• Blocks: pausing involuntarily, as if your words are stuck.
• A loss of control of the speech mechanism accompanying these changes.

If none of these are true for you, you may be experiencing a different kind of problem. Speech and language disorders come in many forms, and a speech-language pathologist can help you determine what's making it hard for you to speak.

What Could Be Triggering My Sudden Stutter?

Stuttering (or stammering, to our friends in the UK) isn’t always developmental stuttering, which typically starts in early childhood. Sometimes it’s acquired stuttering, which starts in adulthood due to specific triggers such as emotional trauma, brain disorders, medication side effects, or other causes.

People who stutter suddenly aren’t alone—whether it’s a child or person in adulthood, there are answers. Speech and language therapy can help, and it's important to remember that speech fluency isn't the only factor in being a good communicator.

Drug-Induced Stuttering: A Medication Side Effect?

Extremely rare cases of drug-induced stuttering have been described in scientific literature as an acquired stuttering type. The most common culprits are antipsychotics, central nervous system agents, and anticonvulsants.

Some people wonder: can antidepressants cause stuttering? So few cases have been reported that it's impossible to say with certainty - but even if it were possible, the likelihood for an individual is vanishingly small. A good rule of thumb is, if you suspect that your sudden-onset stuttering is caused by a medication, consult your doctor. While extremely rare, drug-induced stuttering is usually reversible.  

Neurogenic Stuttering: When Brain Changes Play a Role

Neurogenic stuttering is stuttering from a brain injury such as concussion, or other causes such as stroke or tumor. Such disorders can be diagnosed by a neurologist, and a speech pathologist can help to manage the problem.

We know that all types of stuttering are neurological, based on differences found between the stuttering brain and the non-stuttering brain. Since speech is a complex motor function controlled at all levels of the brain, disruptions to brain function can lead to speech problems or disrupted language abilities at all levels of communication.

Just as a stroke can lead to symptoms such as upper body weakness or difficulty finding the right words, it may be difficult for a person to talk fluently after a stroke.

Recovery from a speech condition that comes with a brain injury or stroke usually follows the same path as the recovery of the rest of the brain's function. Treatment options may include speech therapy to rehabilitate skills including speech fluency, and help you get your life back on track.

Can Anxiety Cause Stuttering? The Mental Health Connection

A common myth is that anxiety causes most stuttering. In fact, people who stutter can do so whether they're nervous or not - thought stress and anxiety do frequently increase the intensity of an underlying stutter.

Part of the reason for this myth is that people who don't stutter may experience some stammering when they are nervous - meaning they may pause, restart, or even repeat words or sounds. But this is not true stuttering, though it may result in negative feelings or changes in self esteem.

A very rare type of stuttering does exist that can occur for mental health reasons. Trauma or other emotional problems may result in disruptions to fluent speech patterns, or even make it difficult to speak at all. Anxiety-related stammering is often temporary, manageable with speech therapy that can help increase fluency - but treating the underlying issue is also important. Read on to learn more.

Stuttering Caused by Emotional Trauma

We all know that stress can cause changes in the body - think racing heart, digestive issues, migraines, etc. Whether your emotional distress was caused by a traumatic event, life change, or other mental disorders, stuttering is one way that such issues can manifest physically.

There is no shame in having a physiological response to an emotional state. Psychogenic stuttering is NOT "all in your head" - instead, it is a change in behavior of the brain.

This kind of acquired stuttering requires a two-pronged approach. Speech therapy can help regain confidence and help you to speak fluently, while counseling to address negative feelings can get to the deeper roots of whatever is affecting your speech.

Talk to a speech therapist no matter what kind of stuttering you are experiencing.

Stuttering & Other Conditions: ADHD, Autism, and Beyond

What is the relationship between stuttering and other communication disorders? Here are a few that people commonly have questions about.

• Tourette's Syndrome (a disorder best known for causing speech and facial tics) is not the same thing as stuttering. While people with Tourette's can stutter (because stuttering occurs in all populations), it is more common for them to exhibit "normal disfluency," which is not stuttering.
• ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) may co-occur with stuttering, and a child with ADHD is somewhat likelier to stutter. Let your speech therapist know about your child's ADHD diagnosis so they can adapt their therapy to your child's learning style. Briefly explore “ADHD stuttering,” “stuttering and autism,” and “Tourette’s and stuttering” as “other communication disorders.”
• Stuttering and autism may also be comorbid, with autistic children being somewhat likelier to stutter. As with ADHD, a speech therapist can work with your child to adapt therapy to their specific needs.
• Asthma is another condition that may co-occur with stuttering. Researchers into stuttering found that the two conditions occur more than random chance would suggest.
• Dyslexia is more commonly reported among people who stutter than among non-stutterers.
• Is stuttering a tic? No, stuttering is a separate category from tics. While it does involve a loss of control of muscles, stuttering diopathic stuttering (unknown origin) and “childhood onset fluency disorder” as “other factors”

Stuttering After COVID

While a few case studies have been reported of people stuttering after COVID, they are rare and this area has not been adequately studied. Stress and brain changes are both things that might occur with a long illness such as long COVID, and they are both things that might influence stuttering.

Does that mean COVID caused the stuttering? Not necessarily - it's also possible that a latent stutter might have been brought to the fore by other illness-related changes. We just don't have enough information yet to know for sure.

When to See a Speech Language Pathologist

We think you should always see a qualified SLP when you have questions about your speech! Any changes to speech that are sudden, however, should be treated as emergencies.

A sudden stutter might signal something going on that you need to know about. Don’t ignore it, but explore treatment options right away.

Finding Answers to ‘Why Am I Stuttering All of a Sudden?’

We hope this article has been useful in answering your questions about sudden stuttering.

Whether stuttering results from neurological changes, emotional trauma, or other factors, there is a root cause that a speech therapist can help you find.

Help is available, whether you're an adult or a child.

Ready to take the next step? AIS’s certified speech-language pathologists provide individualized stuttering therapy for preschoolers, kids, teens, and adults — with options for online sessions and supportive groups to practice real-world speaking. Call us today at (212) 633-6400 or contact us online to learn how we can help you speak freely, and live fearlessly.

Worried about the cost of therapy? Our Freeing Voices, Changing Lives Scholarship Fund offers need-based financial assistance, thanks to generous donors.

We can also guide you through Vocational Rehabilitation programs in New York, California, Georgia, and private insurance options that may fully or partially fund your therapy.