One thing the scientific community has never been able to agree on is whether or not stuttering is a habit. One thing that is fairly clear though, is that some of the secondary symptoms of stuttering, such as fear, panic and depression are habitual. Stutterers tend to develop these habits in response to their stutter. If you can stop stuttering, you might be able to break these habits as well.

Those who believe that stuttering itself is a habit point out that stutters do the same things over and over again- they tend to struggle over and over again with the same words and sounds. There are a few techniques to help people stop stuttering that are based on the assumption that stuttering is a habit.

One of these techniques is the Simplified Habit Reversal (SHR) technique. It operates on the premise that stuttering is the result of defective breathing, and that you can learn to stop stuttering simply by altering your breathing habits.

A more widely know habit-changing method is the Alexander Technique. Frederick Alexander was a drama reciter, who suddenly lost his voice for no apparent reason. After numerous doctors failed to find a medical explanation, Alexander developed a technique that helped him heal himself by altering what he considered to be his body's defects. His theory was that most people lived in an unhealthy way, creating all kinds of physical problems, including those with speech and vocal ability. By working to change those habits, he could ultimately correct these defects.

While the Alexander technique has been shown to stop stuttering, it can be very difficult to follow. It requires a high degree of self-awareness and the ability to identify exactly where issues arise before they can be corrected.

Even though it is difficult to determine whether or not stuttering is truly a habit, this school of thought provides a few more treatment options for those who wish to stop stuttering.