I used to HATE introducing myself… I was petrified of phones and radios. I avoided both like nobody’s business. I don’t think I talked on the phone more than a dozen times until high school. However, life happened and I joined the army at 17. I was very scared. It was very stressful. I had to work very hard to control my speech. It was exhausting. But I did notice that most of my anxiety was self-inflicted. I did not know stress until I went to combat. It was so over the top, in terms of anxiety. So many out of body experiences, where the stress was so high that I watched myself from another perspective. During this time, I was perfectly fluent. That lasted until roll call back to the states. I had a PTSD panic attack and couldn’t even say my name to get on the plane home. When I got back, my commanders recommended me for a teaching position (hand grenades) at West Point - where I taught 1,200 students. It was tough love, but my fluency gradually returned (and so did my confidence). When I left the army, I went to the university. After a few degrees, I eventually started teaching upper division courses. Again, I found out that I could talk to 50 people far easier than I could 1. The more I talked, the less anxiety/panic I experienced. I still stuttered (good days and bad days) but it was way less. It was during this time I made a vow to never hide from my tough words/sounds. I stutterer way more, but I said exactly what I wanted to say. My students really resonated with seeing a stutterer laugh and joke and have a good time while still stuttering. Eventually, I had a little cult in the Political Science department. The same people took all my courses. I even won several awards. That lead me to start doing other “talky” things, like public speaking, even radio and tv interviews. I was on one of the major channels in Seattle for two hours, just me and the host. He was an ass, and he mocked my stutter at first, but I just keep talking. (What blew me away was a whole bunch of people calling in to congratulate me and encourage me - What a liberating experience that I encourage any PWS to try). The host eventually came around and actually listened to me, gave me a shirt, and bought me a drink. Since then I’ve done other interviews for television. (My wife cannot believe how often I have been on TV.) Anyway, the grand point I am trying to make is to embrace your speech and take every opportunity to talk. If you are scared… Good. Ain’t no such thing as a “safe space” for a PWS. If you are having a bad day… Own it. Acknowledge it. It won’t last forever. You won’t die. If someone mocks you or treats you like sh!t… Devour them. You deserve to say your truth and don’t let anyone (especially your scared inner voice) steal your tongue. I wish I could stand behind you and give you a hand on your shoulder to get you through the challenges you will face. However, you are going to have to look way deep down inside yourself and come to that place where you just know you’re going to be alright. It’s sort of analogous to the difference between someone telling you that you are in love vs. you knowing yourself that you are in love. That is where your confidence is waiting for you.