I wasn't bullied in school (I got really lucky/fought people) but there have been tons of stutterers that have. Constant bullying like that at a young age can have lasting affects on people throughout their lives. This can lead to crippling social anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Stuttering in itself is what I like to call the root disorder for many people. Many other disorders can extend from the root hierarchy and can be really difficult to deal with. Some stutterers have no support groups, friends, or family that understand their grief. I had very little support when growing up. I did speech therapy for a full year when I was in grade three. It helped quite a bit but my speech hasn't really improved since. My parents acted as if stuttering was nothing and to just not give a fuck about what anyone thinks, "other people have way more difficulty in life than you" is what they often said. I tried to follow this advice but it hasn't worked. I know they meant well but they were ignorant on the subject of stuttering. If I am not constantly putting myself into uncomfortable situations my *"courage"* quickly dwindles. It becomes exhausting. The uncomfortable situations aren't even that..major but it's all I can handle right now. It's simply calling people I don't have to for practice, asking questions in stores, or attempting to make very small talk in class. Stuttering is the root cause for suicidal thoughts because depression/anxiety is the result of stuttering in many people * STUTTERING * ANXIETY *DEPRESSION Hope this makes sense.