--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I grew up with an absolutely horrible…" description: "\"I grew up with an absolutely horrible, debilitating stutter, and it was what caused me to retreat into myself and caused me to have very few friends an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/tim-gunn-2085_awful_i-grew-up-with-an-absolutely-horrible-de_2793922.jpg" --- # I grew up with an absolutely horrible, debilitating… ![“I grew up with an absolutely horrible, debilitating stutter, and it was what caused me to retreat into myself and caused me to have very few friends and not want to socialize, and it made me absolutely terrified of giving reports in school. It was awful. It wasn't until I was 19 that I had…” quote by Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/tim-gunn-2085_awful_i-grew-up-with-an-absolutely-horrible-de_2793922.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/tim-gunn-2085_awful_i-grew-up-with-an-absolutely-horrible-de_2793922.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91b/tim-gunn-2085_awful_i-grew-up-with-an-absolutely-horrible-de_2793922.jpg) > “I grew up with an absolutely horrible, debilitating stutter, and it was what caused me to retreat into myself and caused me to have very few friends and not want to socialize, and it made me absolutely terrified of giving reports in school. It was awful. It wasn't until I was 19 that I had intensive speech therapy. I had it for two years and it really helped, though I will say when I'm tired, the stutter comes out, even now.” [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shares personal struggle with stutter, its social impact, and eventual improvement through therapy, though occasional setbacks persist. **In simple terms:** Stuttering can be overcome with effort and support. Key Takeaway Seek help and practice. Themes speech disability resilience Mood inspirational empathetic Type personal educational When to use this quote - class presentations - job interviews - public speaking - support groups Key Concepts psychology of communication self-advocacy Questions to Reflect On - What strategies help manage occasional setbacks? - How can society better support speech challenges? A Different Perspective May not address all neurodivergent experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful/) [Few friends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few-friends/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew/) [Grew up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-up/) [Horrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horrible/) [I'm tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-m-tired/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Retreat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/retreat/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Speech therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech-therapy/) [Stutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stutter/) [Stutter Caused](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stutter-caused-3400576/) [Stutter Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stutter-comes-3400577/) [Terrified](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrified/) [Therapy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/therapy/) [Tired](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired/) [Tired Stutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tired-stutter-3400578/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I had a stutter when I was a young. I went to speech therapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-ertz/i-had-a-stutter-when-i-was-a-young-i-went-to-speech-therapy/) [Zach Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-ertz/) > [“A brick could be used in speech therapy, to cure a stutter. I mean look at me, I don't have a stutter. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/a-brick-could-be-used-in-speech-therapy-to-cure-a-stutter-i-mean-look/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Part of what was in the ether all around me growing up, until I was between 19 and 20, was a terrible, debilitating stutter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/part-of-what-was-in-the-ether-all-around-me-growing-up-until-i-was/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [I also had a stuttering problem. In a Mexican home they don't give you speech therapy; they don't even know what speech therapy is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felipe-esparza/i-also-had-a-stuttering-problem-in-a-mexican-home-they-don-t-give-you/) [Felipe Esparza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felipe-esparza/) > [You need to take small steps when you dream big dreams. I am a published author with dyslexia, a professional speaker who was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-mecklenburg/you-need-to-take-small-steps-when-you-dream-big-dreams-i-am-a/) [Karl Mecklenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-mecklenburg/) > [A lot of families with kids with autism can't afford speech therapy for their children and can't afford to get them in the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-bregman/a-lot-of-families-with-kids-with-autism-can-t-afford-speech-therapy/) [Alex Bregman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-bregman/) > [I had people in my life who didn't give up on me: my mother, my aunt, my science teacher. I had one-on-one speech therapy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/i-had-people-in-my-life-who-didn-t-give-up-on-me-my-mother-my-aunt-my/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I couldn't speak well. I went to speech therapy for 10 years. And I was sort of frustrated in that sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/i-couldn-t-speak-well-i-went-to-speech-therapy-for-10-years-and-i-was/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [“Speech therapy is an art that deserves to be more widely known. You cannot imagine the acrobatics your tongue mechanically performs in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-dominique-bauby/speech-therapy-is-an-art-that-deserves-to-be-more-widely-known-you/) [Jean-Dominique Bauby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-dominique-bauby/) > [“The woman spoke with a heavy western North Carolina accent, which I used to discredit her authority. Here was a person for whom the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/the-woman-spoke-with-a-heavy-western-north-carolina-accent-which-i/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [“I sit down on the bed, cradling her little head against my shoulder, inhaling her sweet baby scent. Someday she'll get older, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-tropper/i-sit-down-on-the-bed-cradling-her-little-head-against-my-shoulder/) [Jonathan Tropper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-tropper/) > [I distrust speech therapy. Words are the language of lies and evasions. Music cannot lie. Music talks to the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alasdair-gray/i-distrust-speech-therapy-words-are-the-language-of-lies-and-evasions/) [Alasdair Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alasdair-gray/) > [“How did you find me?" "I've followed you for a long time." He must have mistaken the look on my face for alarm or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-zarr/how-did-you-find-me-i-ve-followed-you-for-a-long-time-he-must-have/) [Sara Zarr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-zarr/) > [When I was diagnosed, mothers were blamed for causing autism. There was no autism support. They'd put autistic kids in institutions. I had severe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/when-i-was-diagnosed-mothers-were-blamed-for-causing-autism-there-was/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [I didn't know anything was wrong with me when I was growing up. I thought everyone went to occupational and speech therapy, I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rj-mitte/i-didn-t-know-anything-was-wrong-with-me-when-i-was-growing-up-i/) [RJ Mitte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rj-mitte/) ## More by Tim Gunn > [We shop out of boredom, for release, for excitement, for a sense of achievement, for a sense of control over our unruly existences. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/we-shop-out-of-boredom-for-release-for-excitement-for-a-sense-of/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [And I'm the first one to tell people to break the rules. But you can only break the rules once you know what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/and-i-m-the-first-one-to-tell-people-to-break-the-rules-but-you-can/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [I learned quickly that if the student’s perception is that you’re not listening to them, and not understanding them, they discredit you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/i-learned-quickly-that-if-the-student-s-perception-is-that-you-re-not/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Success needs to be measured according to the ambitions and the resources of each designer. And many aren't interested in being a megabrand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/success-needs-to-be-measured-according-to-the-ambitions-and-the/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [But I will add, there's one thing I will not do, ever: I will never talk to you about things you cannot change. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/but-i-will-add-there-s-one-thing-i-will-not-do-ever-i-will-never-talk/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Mood has a scuba section? Who knew?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/mood-has-a-scuba-section-who-knew/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [I would say this to my students all the time, it's about 30% you as the teacher and 70% about them. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/i-would-say-this-to-my-students-all-the-time-it-s-about-30-you-as-the/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [I always say I have a Socratic approach to most things that I do. I pummel people with questions, because I need to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/i-always-say-i-have-a-socratic-approach-to-most-things-that-i-do-i/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [If I had to choose a single destination where I'd be held captive for the rest of my time in New York, I’d choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/if-i-had-to-choose-a-single-destination-where-i-d-be-held-captive-for/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [If I could predict the trends, they would already be there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/if-i-could-predict-the-trends-they-would-already-be-there/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [In a manner of speaking. I certainly never want to lose my voice as an educator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/in-a-manner-of-speaking-i-certainly-never-want-to-lose-my-voice-as-an/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Everyone has a best feature, so find clothes and accessories to accentuate those, whether it’s your shoulders or your long legs!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/everyone-has-a-best-feature-so-find-clothes-and-accessories-to/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [I have to have my coffee. I probably have three cups a day, but only before noon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/i-have-to-have-my-coffee-i-probably-have-three-cups-a-day-but-only/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [Most people wear clothing that is too big or too small for them. And "oversized" is the downfall for most of us. We have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/most-people-wear-clothing-that-is-too-big-or-too-small-for-them-and/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) > [We all had to search for more words to describe things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-gunn/we-all-had-to-search-for-more-words-to-describe-things/) [Tim Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) [Explore all 187 Tim Gunn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-gunn/) ## More Awful quotes > [It must be that I am dreaming, and that I shall awaken in a moment to see that awful knife descending toward my heart-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-rice-burroughs/it-must-be-that-i-am-dreaming-and-that-i-shall-awaken-in-a-moment-to/) [Edgar Rice Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-rice-burroughs/) > [I spent two years in Palo Alto - what an awful, suffocating place for those of us who don't care about yoga, yogurts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/i-spent-two-years-in-palo-alto-what-an-awful-suffocating-place-for/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [Layla brought her arms around herself, no doubt because she was remembering the feel of another, stronger set. 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It was very painful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-stephenson/there-was-a-special-challenge-in-describing-the-awful-childhood-of-a/) [Pamela Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-stephenson/) > [On balance the moral influence of religion has been awful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-weinberg/on-balance-the-moral-influence-of-religion-has-been-awful/) [Steven Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-weinberg/) > [When you finish a poem, it clicks shut like the top of a jewel box, but prose is endless. I haven't experienced an awful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-koch/when-you-finish-a-poem-it-clicks-shut-like-the-top-of-a-jewel-box-but/) [Kenneth Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-koch/) > [Fascism: awful stench of saw and axe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-leiris/fascism-awful-stench-of-saw-and-axe/) [Michel Leiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-leiris/) > [No one with a bad tie is getting my vote. 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I am heartless. I am scared that these things are actually true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-am-awful-i-am-heartless-i-am-scared-that-these-things-are-actually/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Democracy is an awful way to run a country, but it's the best system we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/democracy-is-an-awful-way-to-run-a-country-but-it-s-the-best-system/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) [Browse all 1,826 Awful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I grew up with an absolutely horrible, debilitating stutter, and it was what caused me to retreat into myself and caused me to have very few friends and not want to socialize, and it made me absolutely terrified of giving reports in school. It was awful. It wasn't until I was 19 that I had intensive speech therapy. 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