Addressing your last paragraph, especially when you say "I'm wasting their time." That's entirely not true. There are those VERY few people that don't understand what stuttering means and think it's some form of retardation which is not 'serious' and can be made fun of. If you find those people, it is probably not worth talking to them in the first place. <br> I stutter. Always have been. I am socially awkward. However my job requires me to interact with public relations people, co-ordinate stuff, and basically get some things done. Sure, my large part of the job is not communicating with someone, or somewhere, out of my comfort zone (I write), but I do have to do it at some point. <br> Ever since I joined work, I have noticed a marked improvement in my stuttering, though I am still completely and utterly useless when I am made nervous or have to speak publically. But I have began communicating with people. Every success boosts my motivation. Every failure shakes me up. It happens.<br> What you need to do, I guess, is to put yourself in the lion's cage. In the danger you have been avoiding your entire life. You will likely not succeed, probably get weird glances, or those tiny smiles as if you are cracking some joke. You might not even improve at all. But at least, you are not holding yourself back. What's the point? Your stuttering won't improve miraculously, will it? You won't suddenly get better. So either keep trying to improve it or just stop giving a fuck and go with the "take it or fuck it" attitude and see where you stick.