>*What actually causes a stutter? Why do people stutter and why is it that only some people stutter? Is it caused by some nerve problem or improper development of the language part of your brain?* The different types of stuttering are: * (persistent) developmental stuttering * psychogenic stuttering * neurogenic stuttering (e.g., because of brain injure, brain damage or stroke) Neurogenic stuttering is very rare. I would say that almost all people in this subreddit fall under the category (persistent) developmental stuttering. That's why, my focus in this comment will be exclusively on (persistent) developmental stuttering. The general consensus in current research studies about the causes of (persistent) developmental stuttering is: "The exact cause of stuttering is unknown". Researchers hypothesize that the following factors could attribute to (persistent) developmental stuttering: genetics, language development, environmental factors or brain structure and function([1](https://www.google.com/search?q=causes+stuttering)). >*Is stuttering same for everyone as in like do you guys also experience the feeling that you just can’t talk, like the words just physically can’t come out?* A subset of PWS feel, experience or sense a stutter coming, for example, they can feel it in their throat. Others can feel it in their chest. Others can feel it through nervous system arousal or physical symptoms. Others don't tend to feel it, instead, they "know" that stuttering is about to occur. All this falls under the category "immediate anticipation". Some researchers state that this could be explained by linking a neutral trigger with inhibiting execution of speech movements. If I would translate this in simpler words, PWS may have linked a neutral trigger (such as, a chest sensation or pressure in the throat) with the halting of speech muscles resulting in not continuing the desired articulation (or, initial speech plan). A subset of PWS have developed a mindset that they might stutter more often on certain words or letters (like for example D, T, P but the letters are different for everyone). Others have developed a mindset that they will likely stutter more under certain conditions (e.g., when tired or when drunk), or in certain situations (e.g., some PWS stutter more with their dad than their mum). This falls under the category "long-term anticipation". If I would translate this in simpler words, PWS may have linked feared words, feared situations or certain conditions with the halting of the initial speech plan. A subset of PWS (but it may happen more in very light stutterers) don't stutter for two weeks, and then they stutter for 1 week, and then they don't stutter for 2 weeks, and so on. For example, Emily Blunt (famous actress) constantly switched between stuttering and non-stuttering in her childhood. If you read the research book: Stuttering and clinical applications 2023, or if you read the posts here on reddit, some people only stutter in very specific days in the year, or in certain seasons (winter vs summer, for example). If I would translate this in simpler words, PWS may have linked e.g., winter, with the idea that executing speech movements becomes more difficult. ​ > *I’ve never meant someone who stutters in my life* There is mild, moderate and severe stuttering. Research states that most **people who stutter (PWS)** fall in the category mild stuttering (e.g., Yairi 2023). As Darehj stated (in this post), most people don't know the difference between normal disfluencies and stuttering-like disfluencies. This ability to distinguish between both of them will become more difficult (if not impossible for most people), when PWS start using tricks, avoidance techniques (e.g., trying to avoid fear or triggers), or apply covert behaviors (such as, only speaking when they don't feel that stuttering might occur by excessively scanning for threats or monitoring for speech errors), or apply secondaries (such as substituting feared anticipated words). ​ >*Why is it that (Atleast in my case) I don’t stutter as much when talking to my parents or close friends when I can’t even physically say a word when talking to strangers?* Check out [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/12yiriq/do_you_stutter_more_or_less_if_you_speak_with/) reddit poll. Almost 50% of PWS stutter more with strangers, whereas the other 50% stutter more with family and friends. Some people stutter more when drunk, high, or tired. Whereas, other PWS stutter less, if they are drunk, high on weed, or feeling tired. I think this can have different causes, (1) PWS linked "being drunk" with more error-proneness to execute speech movements, (2) or some PWS prioritize highly controlled speech such as excessively monitoring speech errors resulting in more stuttering (because scanning for threats results in perceiving more speech errors and then freezing is evoked more often) - **so they stutter more when drunk**, (3) or some PWS stutter less on auto-pilot, so if they tend to be drunk, they overrely less on internal resources to manage speech, and **thus they stutter less when drunk**. Conclusion: So, in this viewpoint, I think that reducing attentional control or reducing the hyperactivity, can in some PWS increase stuttering (when drunk, high or tired), whereas in other PWS it can decrease stuttering. Additionally, being drunk, high or tired can, in some PWS, increase the ‘signal-to-noise ratio” of speech plans, and reduce responsivity resulting in realizing that we are eliciting fewer negative responses from listeners, which can reduce the release threshold, and then execution of planned words becomes more easily, and as a result we can perceive the speech plan to be more appropriate and to contain fewer errors, dampening our sensitivity so that the rises in synaptic dopamine are no longer so rewarding (pleasurable) and the falls are no longer so punishing. So, all this could lead us to perceiving other people's responses more positive than they really are, resulting in feeling less judged([1](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352029918_STUTTERING_DOPAMINE_AND_INCENTIVE_LEARNING)). ​ >*This problem makes me feel like I have no hope in the future* ​ >*Everyone tells me it’s a confidence thing but I really highly doubt so since I stutter to even my teachers but I’m not scared of them and i am fairly confident*