Lisp with retainer?!

Lisp with retainer?

I just got a retainer put on a few days ago, and I have a major lisp. Is it ever going to go away eventually? I hate talking because I sound so horrible. And some words I have to fight just to get out, while others I just give up altogether because I can't get them out. I hate talking to people, and I actually have my mom call places for me because I am so self conscious about the way I talk and some people can't even understand me. I had a slight lisp when I got the braces put on, but this is a major lisp.

The type of retainer I have is called a habit breaker, so it covers the whole roof of my mouth (which means I can't even eat solid food.. I even have a hard time getting yogurt down), but there's a "basket" thing that blocks where my tongue would normally press against my two front teeth. The only good coming out of this is that I don't have to wear it my entire treatment (1 1/2 years), so I only have to wear it for a few months, but it's a lot to adjust to.

Any advice?

I had the same thing happen to me when I was a kid with braces and retainers. Eventually you'll get used to wearing the retainer and you'll naturally compensate for it when you speak. The lisp will gradually go away within a few weeks. The more you talk and consciously try to speak, the quicker you'll lose the lisp. If your self-conscious about the lisp then start out speaking to friends and relatives for extended sessions and move on once you get comfortable.

As for the eating thing - I don't know about that. I was always instructed to take out retainers for meals. I would talk to your orthodontist about that.