>*"If I'm not nervous at all, I can probably say things I couldn't say if I was nervous a thousand times over. "* Yes, there are many factors that can reduce stutter triggers, but we need to understand that these triggers are paradoxical. For example, some people stutter more during "loud noise" (such as background music in a mall or a loud crowd), while others stutter less in such environments. Why is this so? Some theoretical frameworks suggest that we attribute positive and negative "associations" to neutral stimuli, transforming them into conditioned stimuli that elicit a negative conditioned response (think fight, flight, freeze processes). For instance, prior to a speech block, we subconsciously evaluate both the speech plan and the "loud noise": * If we add positive associations to the neutral stimulus "loud noise", such as, "Loud noise means listeners are paying less attention to me and thus judging me less negatively" this might reduce the trigger, reverting it back to a neutral stimulus that elicits no significant response. * If we add negative associations, such as, "Loud noise means listeners are not paying attention, so I probably have to repeat myself" (cognitive distortion: catastrophizing), or, "I can't control my speech during loud noise" (cognitive distortion: lack of confidence in one's ability to say the word), the neutral stimulus transforms into a trigger, that trigger the fight, flight, freeze response. I believe that a neutral stimulus (such as "loud noise") only transforms into a conditioned stimulus (i.e., a trigger) if we attempt to avoid this neutral stimulus for speech execution to proceed. Otherwise, it remains a neutral stimulus that elicits no significant response. Additionally, interventions we implement (such as reducing nervousness) directly influence our associations with the neutral stimulus. Essentially, it's not the intervention itself that reverts the trigger to a neutral stimulus, but the "net positive associations" we attribute to the stimulus. This results in us not avoiding the stimulus, thereby not triggering the fight, flight, freeze response. Anyway, this is just my take on it