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22 year old who stutters I’m 22 and have had a lifelong stutter. Mine’s mainly triggered by anxiety, though certain sounds can set it off too. The anxiety part feels like my brain associates specific phrases with danger, almost like saying them will lead to punishment. I don’t think I’ll actually get yelled at, but my body reacts as if I will. I freeze, stumble, and lose control of my words. I believe it comes from childhood trauma… being yelled at or punished for saying something someone didn’t like. Now, whenever I speak, part of my brain whispers, “Don’t say that, you’ll be punished.” It’s exhausting. This anxiety has carried over into phone calls too, which makes my grocery store job difficult. I don’t handle calls often, but when I have to talk to a customer on the phone, my stutter kicks in hard under the pressure. Does anyone else experience this kind of fear-based stutter? How do you handle it?