We all have differing severity of the condition so I wouldn't know how bad it is for you. For me currently, I am able to catch my anxiety building up pretty early on (sort of like having an arbitrary gauge). In the beginning, I had no clear sense of this which meant my speech block symptoms popped up without warning :( Its a matter of alot of self reflection and learning to understand your own body and mind more and more. I had spent 3 years addressing this issue with 1 year of therapy in the beginning to learn about techniques to help 'mask' this problem as well as target the root problem. The root problem for me I have identified, is anxiety and fear of judgement. It may be different for others... I started off sharing my problem with my brother, and even had alot of mock conversations where I would purposely Stop myself (strategically) to get used to the awkward pause. Eventually this pause can become powerful to project your influence when used correctly. But initiating a conversation is different from preventing blocks from happening During a conversation. Specifically for initiating , one thing I forgot to add is, you can try to clear your throat so the listener gets the queue you are about to speak, and then say"hello". Another thing I do is i psych myself into the mindset where I am about to host a talk show. I have a huge grin on my face before saying "hello" in a cheerful tone . Sometimes I pretend I'm a villain from a movie and say Hello dramatically. Using inflection when speaking can help! Pardon my enthusiasm haha; I am very passionate about this topic and it's actually my first time posting. Stumbling across this subreddit reminds me alot of bitter sweet times.