Every Waking Moment: The Journey to Take Back My Life from the Trauma and Stigma of Stuttering

by Christopher Anderson

Every time a person who stutters wants to speak, they have two choices: reveal their stutter or be silenced by its many life-impeding side effects.

Stuttering consumes every waking moment. It’s not a speech disorder. But stuttering doesn’t have to be either.

In 2012, twenty-five-year-old Christopher Anderson laughed at the inevitable end of his marriage, cried when he couldn’t make a coherent phone call to get help for his ailing dog, and finally broke when he failed a once-in-a-lifetime interview to become an FBI agent. A debilitating stutter had sealed his destiny—until he decided to fight for his life.

Every Waking Moment is an intense, vulnerable, and insightful memoir showing how the struggle to communicate shapes the coming of age for those who stutter and what it means to accept your stutter.

For millions of people worldwide, stuttering, also known as stammering, is defined by an endless uncertainty of how to escape its trauma and stigma. Thus, Christopher faces his greatest fears as he undergoes an extraordinary transformation that leads him life fulfillment:

• To find his one true love in marriage,
• To discover community in the National Stuttering Association,
• To an innovative speech-language pathologist who implores him to face his stutter, not hide it,
• To the frontlines of US national security in a dream job,
• To train for and finish brutal Ironman triathlons, and
• To what was once thought impossible, fatherhood.

Christopher examines his through-life process of change to illuminate how one transcends disability once and for all, inspiring each of us to pursue the improbable—self-acceptance and a fulfilling life.

Every Waking Moment is one of those rare stories that fearlessly proves how we are changed by what we do in connection with others, no matter how long it takes, nor the obstacles we must confront.

Genres: Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

Published October 5, 2022

Reviews

[akacya ❦]

2025 reads: 29/300

in this memoir, the author talks about his journey as a person who stutters. he talks about the trauma and stigma stemming from his stuttering, from difficulties in school and therapy to hardships in marriage. as a speech-language pathology graduate student, i really appreciated reading this and feel i learned a lot about stuttering and how our society views fluency. while a person will never stop stuttering, we should make it our goal to reduce the negative impacts of stuttering (such as social withdrawal) and help the person be the best communicator they can be.

[Matthew A. Boury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has heard stories of perseverance before, of a person rising to their challenges and ultimately finding a way to triumph over them. These stories are usually captivating, inspiring, and enjoyable. Mr. Anderson could have chosen to simply tell his story in this way and his book would have been magnificent. But he doesn't. He tells his story of perseverance, not as the end unto itself, but as a continuing journey of introspection and learning. And this is both for the benefit of his readers and himself. Mr. Anderson, through meticulous research, illustrates just how he both succeeded in his journey as a person who stutters and how he encountered failure. And he does this not to show others who stutter (or frankly anyone who has personal challenges in their life) how to arrive at a perfect end state, but to follow him down the path of finding lasting courage to take on anything they may encounter. This was truly a very moving read.

[Grace Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my fluency class & ended up really liking it! I'm a sucker for a good memoir, and reading about Chris Anderson's experience with stuttering was truly eye-opening and admirable. He is such a honest and raw writer, and I appreciated how he detailed even his hardest and most embarrasing situations. At times I was genuinely anxious while reading, and I could picture myself in his shoes in those situations of intense stuttering. As an SLP student, his writing was helpful for me to imagine what it's like to grow up stuttering and stuttering as an adult. Since i've never experienced stuttering firsthand, I feel better prepared to address the 3Es of stuttering in my clients based on the advice and life experiences Chris writes about. Hearing Chris speak to our class was AMAZING and listening to him talk from his perceptive now as a dad to a child who stutters and how his view on stuttering has changed yet again was inspiring.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris' book, Every Waking Moment, is not only a personal and vulnerable introspection about his own journey through self-acceptance and healing, it also educates the reader on the more practical aspects of stuttering and how to move past its potential constraints.

As a parent of a teenager who stutters, Chris' book had a huge impact on me. I would like to think that based on my own personal experience, I know quite a bit more than the average person about stuttering, but Chris' book helped me see and better understand the impact stuttering can have on a person's life. He offers an honest and open assessment of how stuttering impacted him and what it took for him to move past his stutter to fully embrace his life.

Although everyone's stuttering journey is unique, as a parent, I believe Chris' story is essential to better understand the range of experiences one can have with stuttering and it shines a light on everything we cannot see that is often happening emotionally under the surface for many of those that stutter.

On the practical side, through his experiences Chris provides a "how to" for those interested in letting go of the constraints stuttering can have on a person's life and how he was able to create lasting change. His story is inspirational and will likely offer a beacon of hope to those at all stages of their journey through stuttering.

Chris' book is not only for those who stutter or for the people that love them, but offers a wonderful and personal explanation to all about this often-misunderstood speech impediment.

Hopefully everyone who read's Chris' book, whether they stutter, know someone who stutters or not, will have a better understanding of what it means to stutter and how a stutter can truly be a catalyst to building strength and resilience.

[Jason Betterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris’ book helped me reflect on my own journey as a person who stutters. Reading Chris’ journey from an angry, suicidal and self-isolated pre-teen to an enormously successful FBI agent and Ironman Triathlete is deeply inspiring.

Not only is his deeply personal story motivating, it is truly helpful pragmatically. I found myself taking notes throughout. Chris breaks down all of the various factors that propelled his growth to becoming a confident communicator. His intention of helping others is clear immediately. He wants to help others overcome their fears towards achieving their own goals. It is a call to action for anyone looking to overcome an obstacle in life, but especially to those of us who stutter.

For the longest time, being a person who stutters has been my excuse to not go for a job position, or put myself out there socially. Compared to other literature written by people who stutter, curing your stutter is not the goal of this book but rather self-actualization. As a person who stutters, I found it enormously helpful. It instills an internal locus of control and the confidence to know that with hard work I can achieve anything WITH a stutter.

The story flows well, demonstrating his transitions throughout life. Chris is extremely vulnerable in this page-turning and touching story. I enjoyed his blunt writing style as well as the humorous anecdotes sprinkled throughout. I highly recommend this book to people who stutter along with their loved ones to understand the thoughts and emotions a stutterer experiences and insight into living a fulfilled life with a stutter. For anyone who wishes to build courage, this is an absolute must-add to your library.

[John Vonhof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Anderson has written a valuable book that will help educate those who stutter and at the same time, educate their families and friends about stuttering. As a person who stutters, I could relate to his stories, struggles, failures and successes--through his lifetime of experiences. We have many experiences that are the same, facing the daily struggles and taunting from others, and the ups and downs of therapy. I remember many of my experiences vividly--some funny but many that are heart wrenching. Christopher helps us understand the nuances of stuttering. We who stutter have different levels of stuttering, and different ways of trying to deal with and overcome our affliction. It's a very personal journey that seems to never end. Some days are better than others while others are worse. Christopher's story helped me understand how he learned from his stutter, how he confronted it, and how he handled his failures and successes. Every Waking Moment is a valuable book that every person who stutters should read and learn from.

[Matt Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every Waking Moment" is an incredibly insightful memoir that shines light on the lived experience of stuttering. As a person who stutters myself, I related to something on almost every page of this book. Chris does a phenomenal job capturing the raw, real emotions and reactions that come from stuttering, and this is a MUST READ for any SLP or SLP student, especially for those who have a person who stutters on their caseload. This book is jam-packed with invaluable perspective, providing a window into the struggle that comes with stuttering, as well as a sense of what it means to triumph over it. This book is even more valuable for the person who stutters - it truly encapsulates what it means to stutter, and shows that you are not alone in your journey.

[Gwenyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book shared on the NSA Facebook page. I immediately went to purchase it, because my child is a person who stutters. Books by people who stutters are few, as are fiction books with characters that stutter.

This book was very insightful and will help us.

If you are a parent, caregiver, teacher, SLP, friend, etc of someone who stutters. Please read this.

I cannot wait to read this again with my tween. I will probably wait until the audiobook is available, because representation matters and my child deserves to hear others like him. I can tell him how this person or that person also stutters, but they don't in interviews or on film- so it's not always believed by him.

[Audri Heffernan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chris’ story is powerful, insightful, and inspiring. As someone who stutters and who has also worked hard to accept myself, this story accurately describes what that journey is like. I think everyone needs to read this book but I think it would be especially helpful for speech therapists and people who stutter. 10/10 would recommend!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Anderson's thoughtful and thorough analysis of his stuttering journey is a gift to speech-language therapists seeking to help people toward more fulfilling communication. While every person's journey will be unique, this roadmap provides valuable insight into the stages and critical elements that build toward lasting change.

[Hayden Downs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book, I was blown away. I felt like I was hit by a train. Everything that Christopher describes in his life is a mirror image of my own experience as another man who stutters.

I was captivated by his brutally honest writing style as he recounted the whirlwind of a life that he’s led, describing how stuttering infected every aspect of it.
No book about stuttering that I have ever read adequately describes the psychological implications and effects. This book blows away everything I’ve read.

This book gives me so much courage to live truthfully, and I have the mental fortitude to go forward and live genuinely and fully. Affliction is not identity.

I recommend this book to everyone, irregardless of who you are. It’s especially important that every SLP, CSD Student, loved one of a stutterer and every stutterer to read this. I hope that EWM blesses your lives as much as it’s blessed mine!