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I CANNOT DO THIS ANYMORE Hello, I am a 24 year old male with a stammer. I have had one for most of my life, starting from the age of six. This condition has dominated all aspects of my life. I can’t make connections, form close relationships and practically have 0 friends. I am an almost 25 year old man who has had no friends throughout adulthood. I am embarrassed of my speech, and I am deeply afraid of the judgment that I may be subjected to because of way I talk. As a result, I am very quiet around others, no one talks to me at work. I come across as uninterested, cold and aloof. I am deeply afraid of what might become of me if this continues. Honestly, I think I am on the verge of becoming a recluse. Talking to others makes me uncomfortable and the experience is never enjoyable. I have blocks and sometimes struggle to get out my words. I can’t express myself how I want and mostly reply back with one word answers. I believe my avoidance of stammering around others has caused me social anxiety. I have never had support for my stammer and never had any kind of therapy. What can I do? I can’t live like this, I feel so alone and miserable. Being a closeted gay muslim is already hard enough. I can never be myself and I feel so ashamed of my identity being gay and also having a stammer. I am going through a quater life crisis and often lament on the social life I missed out on from ages 16-24. I want 25 to be a new start, how do I improve my speech? How do I build my confidence and not give a fuck about what anyone thinks? Should I start therapy?