I know what you are talking about and I still feel that pain in my heart. So unbelievably has happened in my life recently, both mentally and emotionally, I am still on the way to what I described but I can feel it happening. I wouldn't necessarily say stuttering has saved me... ever – but that's ok. Yes, it can mean missing opportunities and I totally understand. I... I believe that everything I need or that is looking for me will find me. And everything I want I will find as well. I'm not saying I don't care about anything and just let life happen but I'm not trying to bend/change myself to not miss that one thing, those one or two experiences. Honestly, I don't really understand my feelings myself but I feel like it has a lot to do with the following: I'm learning that life isn't a race. I'm learning to care for myself and stand up for me. And as an socially anxious and highly sensitive stutterer with a horrible sense of self-worth and so on this would be an insane achievement – I'm still working on it but I feel I'm getting there. Back to the question. Yes, my stuttering limits me. It prevents me from saying my name, creating awkward and stressful situations. It makes me say things I didn't mean to say and has me carry the consequences for it. But that's who I am. That's me. So many other things/conditions limit us as well. If you have a problem with me stuttering then it's none of my business. I didn't ask if you like it. I didn't even ask to accept it. That's just the minimum amount of respect to accept it (at least it should be), in my humble opinion. Also, we need to see, accept and be less afraid of mental illnesses, disorders, disabilities and so on. They exist, they are real, people are fighting even if the condition is invisible. Stuttering is not my fault. I think I'm starting to understand and live it. I think I've found my flame. I'm starting to be proud. Proud to be part of the group of people who want to spread awareness about the struggles and the difficulty of these conditions. Hope this helped maybe understand my perspective a bit more. I think writing this down definitely helped me as well lol. I'd love to hear your perspective on this or in general as well! :) Cheers