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Putting My Stutter into Words Hey everybody! I wanted to put this in words for a while but never knew where to do so (I just found out about this sub a couple minutes ago). I've struggled with stuttering my whole life and for a while, it really dictated my life. In middle school, some people bullied me over it and I ended up bullying myself over it. It became a huge insecurity that led to me purposely being an introvert in fear of being made fun of or rejected. Come high school, I've been able to meet a lot of diverse people who really helped me get out of my shell. People tell me all the time (even though I don't buy it) that they don't even notice my stutter anymore because they've known me for so long. But I've gotten to the point just to not let it dictate me and while I've learned to build confidence through it, it is a never ended battle that people will never know. I have certain letters that I am more prone to stutter one. B's and M's are some. Some techniques work for me and some don't. Some times if you have your sentence planned out in your head, it helps reduce the likelihood, but even so, I can feel the stutter in my vocal cord before it even happens. Kind of like a vibration coming up my throat. Even though it's coming, I don't always have the fastest reaction time and even if I do, do I just push through it or use a synonym? Some times instead of saying money, I say cash. Some times I compliment myself at how quick I can think of a replacement word. But when I mess up on a word, I tend to walk away and repeatedly say that word to myself without a stutter and it can get frustrating. One technique that does work that I just can't seem to execute is if you know it's coming, just pause and take a breath. Slow down. Regardless, this post is more so me just venting then having a direct point but after reading people on this sub struggling with it, you just have to accept it as a part of yourself first. Nobody will ever understand that good feeling we get when we say a sentence and do not stutter at all. It's those small victories that we get to experience that some do not understand. Don't let it hold you back. I do get annoyed with myself some times when I have a bad stutter, but I also know I would have missed out on a lot of good conversations if I chose not to talk. Think of it as something that makes you unique, it makes you stand apart, but in a good way. Everybody deals with their own insecurities, even if they aren't as noticeable, I promise people will accept you for how you are. Side note, I honestly think for the most part, people who stutter notice when somebody else has a stutter just because we are extremely conscience of it. This thought alone helps me in some ways as it makes me feel like some times, my battles go under the radar.