Yes, I do think speech anxiety is a big part of it, and fearing the perceptions and judgements of others. It has snowballed on me over the years (I’m in my late 30s now), and my stuttering has gotten worse as I’ve become more socially avoidant. I do stutter more around certain people, and in certain situations, but sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me. For instance, at times my stutter is worse around the people I’m most comfortable with and who are aware that I stutter (my parents and close friends). Then, sometimes I’ll meet someone new and my stutter will almost disappear for a bit. Leaves me wondering what it is about certain people that causes me to be more fluent, or if it’s simply random. In the situation you described, having to deliver a message over a CB radio at work or something, my stutter would definitely be bad. I’d probably have to lead with an “ummm” or “hey...” to get the message out. Stuttering/stammering does run in my family, so I do think there is a genetic factor for me. But other people in my family who stutter have had an easier time with it. My dad, for instance, is fluent most of the time but gets stuck on joke punchlines and that sort of thing. I think it’s worse for me because I’m more neurotic and self-conscious about it. So yeah, it's definitely not all about a lack of ability to speak.