Hmm. So I’m 35. I still stutter. And I get where you’re coming from. I also get what the OP is trying to express. Of course, everyone’s condition is different and nuanced. For myself, I’ve found that the fear of stuttering is often what makes me stutter. I can sense it before it happens. I can look at people’s faces and see their responses to my blocks, and I can choose to go into a spiral of negative thoughts right then and there. It’s like an ingrained pathway of thinking. Growing up, when people would say they loved my stutter, that sentiment used to infuriate me. As I get older, I realize what people mean: They’re saying, "I don’t care that you stutter. I see you for who you are, and I love you for who you are." It took a personal trip for me to truly face how much hate I had towards myself and my stutter. On that trip, I realized my stutter is simply a part of me. Whether it shows up today or goes away for months, it’s still part of my story, and I love myself. I still have my ups and downs with negative self-talk to this day. But now I feel a sense of calm about it. I’ve gone through enough to learn that my stutter doesn’t hold me back; my thoughts, however, have that power. To all who stutter and who are in pain because of it: I’m sorry, and I love you. I love this community. I find stutterers to be some of the most intelligent, thoughtful, and creative people I’ve ever encountered. I hope this doesn’t come off as downplaying the plight of anyone. I know how it feels.