Disorders are alterations or abnormalities in the functioning of an organism. They can be both psychological and physical and affect, to a greater or lesser degree, the individual's social capabilities. Stuttering is a disorder that combines both the psychological and physical realms. It is characterized by the continuous interruption of speech, specifically in the articulation of words. From an external perspective, it can be deduced that the sufferer struggles to establish effective communication, in addition to feeling anxious and stressed about it.
Aristotle argued that stuttering was the product of certain deformities present in the language, since it could not "follow the course and speed of ideas." This belief was maintained until century XIX; but, while it remained on the rise, various surgical interventions were carried out, in which the tongue was modified, a prosthesis was added or organs such as the tonsils were completely removed.
It is estimated that only 1% of the world's adult population stutters. This is because a large part of infants who suffer from it, outgrow it in adolescence. However, this can cause the affected person depression, anxiety and, even, social phobia, as a result of the insecurity generated by the possible social rejection of their condition, in addition to the frustration generated by not interacting in an appropriate way with the individuals from the environment. Likewise, men are 75% more likely to experience this condition than women, increasing this possibility to 77% if they were born with a dysphemic monozygotic twin.
