As I mentioned earlier, I couldn't know less about you and your experience, so I can only share my experience with you and hope that it does something for you. In my experience, people's reactions of discomfort or being nonplussed can frequently look like derision. People frequently smirk or giggle because they are taken aback by a stutter and aren't sure how to react (especially if they sense that you're sensitive about the matter). If I just press on without getting upset, they usually settle in and get comfortable with the idea. Some people will try making a lame "did you forget your name" joke. Replying very nicely "No, I stutter," shuts that down pretty quickly. I think I can count on one hand that number of people who have been genuine jerks about my speech, and almost all of them are under the age of 18 (and I'm a high school teacher!). Most people aren't jerks, or at least don't want to be. Moving on, It sounds like you're doing a decent job of taking care of your body, but you have a good observation that you need more opportunities to interact with people. Are there (non-knucklehead) regulars at your gym that you can reach out to? Do you enjoy board games, astronomy, or... welding? How about running? Depending on where you live, you may be able to find a meetup or a group for that interest. My general recommendation to people in your position (that might get you some personal mileage) is to take dance lessons. It depends on the studio, but you generally don't need to come with a partner to take lessons. Partners rotate in class. I learned how to swing dance about 20 years ago, and it's been a real resource for me. Not only has it made me friends (and.... eventually... a wife), but it's a situation where I can walk in with a fair degree of confidence that my speech won't be an issue.