I certainly know that fear, but I find that, and I think many of the other comments on here are saying the same thing, the fear of what might happen is so much worse than when/if it actually does happen, and you will always get more out of forcing yourself to do everything you want to do, rather than letting the fear stop you. Also, the more of these situations that you put yourself in, the easier they get and the less fear you'll have beforehand. Obviously it's easier said than done, and that first thing you throw yourself in to is the hardest, but it does get easier. I remember at university I broke my glasses and couldn't read the board during lectures. It took me 6 months to pluck up the courage to go to the opticians for a new pair... I remember when I eventually did, I just happened to be walking passed one in town, and almost without thinking I just directed my legs to walk in to the shop and straight up to the counter. My brain was shouting "oh shit oh shit this is going to be so embarrassing" but I made my legs keep walking! And guess what... I did stutter a bit while asking for an eye test and giving my name, but I didn't care, and neither did they! And I got some glasses at last! I've had more "I wish a hole would open and swallow me up" moments than I care to remember, but each one makes you realise afterwards that they just don't matter that much, and you'll find they start to happen less and less because you simply don't fear them as much. I remember going to university and on my first day a girl walked up to me and asked me my name, and I stuttered for so long trying to get it out that she just turned around and walked off while I was still trying to say it! This certainly didn't help my confidence, but I put it out of my mind and went out anyway, and ended up making a shed load of really good friends that I'm still good friends with now, almost 20 years later. I even ended up having proper conversations with that girl in the following years. I think it made her feel worse afterwards than it made me feel! I'm currently an engineering manager and I run meetings, give presentations, do one to ones with my team, which is all great, but I still get nervous when I need to book an eye test to get new glasses! But I follow the same rule, I just ignore the fear and go and do it. Certain things in life are always going to be harder for people that stutter, but everybody has their cross to bear, whether it's obvious like a stutter, or something less visible, and I think of you can embrace that and see it as a challenge, then it becomes easier and also more rewarding when you do face it and come out the other side even better!