I think one problem is that if you are a young person who stutters, especially if it’s pretty severe, you may never have met or seen anybody who sounds like you who has a job and a romantic partner and friends. I know that my in-laws always tried to encourage my husband that he could have those things, but he’d never seen it. So I can get how when somebody is young and struggling and has never actually met or seen anybody who talks like them who is happy and successful, they might feel hopeless. Somebody mentioned John Hendrickson, and I think it is so awesome that he does tv and radio interviews. I’m sure it’s not easy for him but it is probably the first time a lot of young people who stutter have ever heard someone who stutters a lot who is successful. We heard him on NPR a couple of years ago, and it was the first time my husband had ever heard anyone who sounded anything like him in the media. There is basically no (other than John Hendrickson) representation of people who stutter, especially severely, in the media, and a lot of people may never have met another stutterer. So I can see why a person might feel like having a good life is impossible.