When I was in my early twenties, I took a 2-week workshop in Italy that changed my life. Basically the teacher asked us whether we used stuttering to avoid things that scared us. I realized immediately how, to protect myself from humiliation, I preemptively avoided any possible stress, always relying on my friends, family, and boyfriend for everything. This is also meant I never did what I wanted, because asking for help meant also go along with their plans. I realize my life has become “tiny”. After that workshop, I started challenging so many of my fears. I moved abroad for a while (which I always wanted to do), finished university, and became more assertive in my relationships. My stuttering even disappeared for a good two years—although then I moved to the US and it slowly came back (but that’s another story). Still, I don’t hide as much as I used to, and I learned to live my life and do difficult things. I never thought I’d have a job and a family, for example.