You're not alone in these thoughts. I'm sure there are many of us feel the same. I'm in my 50s and have allowed my stutter to dictate every aspect of my life from jobs to friends to the woman I ended up marrying. It has defined my character and not in a good way. Only you can change the way you are, expand your comfort zones, care less what others think. I didn't have the courage to do those things. My life has been a life lived in fear. You don't want to end up that way.