It can get exhausting trying to hide the fact you stutter. I was a "covert" stutterrer for most of my life. I hit a breaking point around age 27 when I seeked help and ended up going to the two week intensive program at American Institute of Stuttering in NYC. It honestly changed my life. For the first time I opened up to family and friends, allowed myself to stutter in front of people. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders and was the first step to healing.