I had a very similar “life” for about a decade before I learned how to be able to say what I wanted. Some ppl in this sub will tell you to embrace your stutter or just “don’t care what others think”. If you could do that, you would. Others may suggest you make spreadsheets, charts and graphs to analyze your triggers (this will never be necessary or helpful). From early childhood, every person who talks has occasional repetitions and prolongations. At some point, we perceived that others thought poorly of us for having them. The physical effort to try to push through them *is what causes a block.*. It’s like a “Chinese finger trap”. The harder you struggle to escape, the more stuck you get. You don’t have to “just become zen” to decrease the blocks. Instead do this: - disclose and/or do brief voluntary repetitions - make eye contact - begin speaking slowly and on an *exhale* - enunciate or use phrasing (definitely use whatever tone and cadence you wish to use!).