23 year old male here. I was the same way in high school , currently in college. Honestly, the answer is cliche: fuck people’s opinions of you. Everybody’s insecure about something, most people like to be around people who don’t let their insecurities limit them. Once I embraced the “this is me, take it or leave it mindset,” and began to be myself no matter how long I block, or how scrunched up my face gets mid block, folks began to respect and kinda gravitate towards me. In high school and middle school I was very selective with my words so I wouldn’t stutter too badly and I have a lot of funny shit to say, but I brainwashed myself into saying “my comedic timing is fucked and I’ll never be funny because of my stutter.” Took me 22 years to realize that most of the time that’s not true. Now I’m not the life of the party but I’m no longer the spectator hanging out on the wall babysitting their drink and staring at their phone. You have to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Which usually doesn’t happen overnight it’s something you’ll probably work on everyday of your life but believe me: it gets easier every time. TLDR: Be your authentic self people will recognize that and gain a certain level of respect for you. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and stutter a little in public. Ps: I recommend toastmasters to help build confidence, it’s a judgement free community to practice public speaking. Best of luck to you on your journey man I wish all of us stutterers to be free from the shackles of social anxiety caused by our stutters.