I had the same type ever since I was a kid- yours, like mine, sounds heavily influenced by anxiety :( a couple things that have helped: If there no way around saying a certain word, shove some fluff in front of it and smush it all together, like “hmm, I think I’ll do theBLT today”. Don’t separate “the” and “BLT” - it’s now “theblt” :) I work in healthcare where I have to call names from the waiting room (no way around the word) so I’ll say “I’m looking forrrrBianca” “Um”s and “uh”s are my word-smush safety net Try not to hyperfocus on the specific word/sound prior to saying it- this just ramps up your anxiety and makes your chest and throat feel tight, anticipating the block. Instead, repeat a safety sound/word in your head (or whisper it); mine is always Sam Smith, easy “S” sounds I can glide into. Don’t let yourself think of ANYTHING else until the last moment, then try saying what you need to say (without hesitation- don’t get trapped in the mind-cycle by taking a beat) Of course, deep, slow breathing (check out box/4 second breathing) always helps your body release that pressure you feel in your abdomen- controlled breathing reassures your body physiologically that you are safe, and there is no need for the fight/flight response that can initiate speech blocks. I think the biggest thing that ever helped me is just trudging through those block moments and realizing it’s not the end of the world (I knew, rationally, but sometimes you have to prove it to your body and brain who are just trying to protect you from negative emotional feelings). Exposure therapy is the BEST therapy. I would hit a block, the other person would stare at me, and I’d say “ugh, sorry, I have a stutter” and that would almost always help clear the path for the intended word. In my (adult) experience, no one has ever said anything negative or hurtful about it. Convos just continued on, the content of your speech is always more important than how eloquently you say it. Don’t be too hard on yourself. If you treat it as a little problem instead of big, looming, unavoidable problem, then it becomes a just little problem. You’ve got valuable things to say and you deserve to eat whatever you really want at a restaurant. Take care!