sometimes i grieve who i think i would be if i didn’t stutter. i wonder who my friends would be, what i would do for fun, what kind of person i’d be. but lately i’ve been trying to reframe it. sure, people don’t understand what we go through. they never will. but think about what it has brought us! it’s made me empathetic and truly understanding of problems that other people face. maybe i don’t have their same experience, but i know the feeling. the weight on your shoulders all the time. the instinct to hide and minimize yourself. the longing to be anything other than what you are. you’re right. it is really hard. it really sucks. try your best to channel that energy towards positive improvement. small goals. talk to yourself, read out loud, sing in the car (tip: breath control!focus on how relaxed your throat and chest feel, and focus on trying to maintain that looseness when speaking), do the corny relaxation techniques (i can’t believe how much they help), view every interaction as a chance to practice. clean slate. i started by ordering food and making it a goal to get my order/certain hard words out without stuttering. give yourself stepping stones. and be nice to yourself. you’ll get there.