Dear OP, Please don’t give up. I know it’s hard; I’ve been there too. But hey, we stutterers are an obstinate lot, aren’t we? We’ll say what we want to say even if our larynges tell us we can’t. I know that sometimes it takes you tremendous courage to do the little things that would come so easily to other people. And it’s okay if the words come out fractured. It’s okay if people think you’re stupid. Because you know what? It doesn’t matter what they think. What matters is that you speak despite your fears. I think that’s courage. A little practical advice: be open about your stutter. Don’t be ashamed of telling people that you have a speech impediment. It takes away a lot of the awkwardness and anxiety from the situation. And if they’re people worth having around, they won’t care that you stutter.