Living with a stroke is not always easy. Partly because the uninitiated general public tends to regard you either as slightly retarded, as learning-disabled, or as obstinate and non-cooperative. Finally, being physically handicapped in today’s fast moving world poses some formidable physical challenges. However, it may definitely help if you have the following communication strategies ready:

• always prepare what you want to say in advance when talking on the phone or to administrators, banks, the police, etc;
• always say that you have a speech impediment which has nothing to do with your intelligence or willingness to cooperate;
• demand your right to speak, even when the topic of conversation has already shifted and you may be a bit late; and
• when shopping, for example, have a written list of the things you want to buy, so that you are not “mute” or struggling for words when the shop assistant asks you what you would like.

It takes some training and, frankly, quite a bit of overcoming your inhibitions for these suggestions to work, but once you have achieved this, it will definitely ease your life considerably. You will be free of pressure (for it is to a large degree pressure that makes you totally “mute”, and the “fear” of performing in front of strangers), and you then will have all the time in the world.