I am so sorry you went through that as a child. I had my fair share of emotional and mental abuse but it was never physical and never blamed on my stutter and I was never told those things so for that I am very sorry. You’re a trooper for being here still, truly. To be honest my stutter isn’t anywhere near that bad so I don’t want to come off preachy or whiny. We’re all different. You’re absolutely right, I know we have all gotten those instantaneous reactions of laughter or mocking because of it. It blows. I completely understand, human communication is a key part of life and for us it seems impossible. Like it’s a struggle to connect, so we disconnect, which amplifies the stutter. I saw a meme that said something along the lines of “introverts sometimes find communication a chore, not a benefit,” and introvert could be swapped with stutterers. I am glad you are still here, I attempted suicide twice last year but there were other heavy factors involved. I am glad you are still here friend. My stutter has lead me to heavy alcoholism, been to rehab once, IOP 3 times, been in therapy for years, and been to detox maybe 20 times. It numbs the pain. But don’t do what I do. Do you play any video games? I’d love for some new playmates. Happy thanksgiving David and I appreciate your honesty here. Authenticity is a joke nowadays. 🫶