It's a two way street. We know how frustrating it is. Personally I hate being told that. The thing is, that hyper-awareness is very real and arguably just as damaging as struggling to communicate. For me it was traumatizing and I was in my 30's before I realized it and started working to address it. If your friend really doesn't care - then just let loose and let yourself stutter when it happens. I did have friends that didn't care about it and tbh, looking back - it didn't feel great at the time but once I could see it for what it was - it helped to build my confidence. It helped me see what good people look like. My therapist recommended this book: http://katherinepreston.com/outwithitbook/ and it was helpful. It gave me a new perspective. I've known about the idea of 'stuttering freely' for a while and it never made me feel good, and I can't say that I "stutter freely" but I'm more ok with it, and I'm able to focus and use fluency skills that I've practiced over the years. For me it's a very private thing to feel comfortable doing that - I'm the only one that gets to say "fuck it, this is coming out of my mouth" - but try to see your friends encouragement as them "giving your space" to express yourself without judgement. For me - I know that I just wanted to be "heard"