Thanks, man. Your reply was more than I could've asked for. I think I was just having a bad day and focusing on the negative. On the whole, the severity of my speech impediment is dependent on my state of mind, which is directly correlated to the people around me. I appreciate the advice and your epiphany that you just need to speak really resonated with me. As it turns out, I got some bad news that really overshadowed my speech and that somehow makes it better. This tells me the attention and emphasis I put on fluency is exactly what is stopping me from speaking openly. Also, i'd love to chat man, I have your username now and most likely will PM you. Just knowing somebody out there has not only experienced similar circumstances, but you're older and thus wiser in general. So thanks for replying man, seriously, thank you.