I agree that avoiding situations makes stuttering worse. Additionally, avoiding is much bigger than 'situations' like avoiding negative emotions or thoughts. I argue that avoidance of anticipatory fear doesn't lead to breaking the cycle of the stutter disorder. The opposite of avoidance is being aware of your anticipatory fear: * "I can't/won't breathe out during a speech block" * "I don't know how to breathe out during a speech block" Mindfulness and Exposure Therapy (ERP) state that stopping or reducing the anticipatory fear **is avoidance**, so instead, observe and really experience anticipatory fear and learn that the negative predicted outcome - is less fearful, true and probable than you once thought - in order to weaken the association between triggers and the ability to choose to breathe out during speech.