>Speaking only for my case and myself, stuttering was just a manifestation of a bigger problem. That's interesting. I feel the same way. I first stuttered when I was in my teens and It manifested itself when I was feeling really sad about something and rather than expressing it to my friends, I tried to hide it and then It happened. I then got the negative feedback (them laughing) and all of a sudden I felt exposed in a deep way, which was terrifying. So I think it has something to do with being afraid/unable of being my authentic self, so there's this disconnect between my body and my mind if that makes sense. I also think it's a trust issue. Not trusting others that they will leave/reject you if you're your authentic self. >it came down to understanding that stuttering served some purpose when I was a kid. Maybe it got others to take it easy on me, or lower their demands, or whatever. That's interesting. I've thought about whether there is a bigger purpose of stuttering but to me it feels like it's not so much about purpose but more about a fear response. >As an adult, I was still stuck in that habit of stuttering when faced with situations that made me feel like however I felt as a kid. Yes it's kinda like an emotional trigger that stays with you. You're talking to someone and all of a sudden you feel uneasy and then your body shuts down. It's definitely an interpersonal issue. Like you said, most of us don't stutter alone or with a pet. >So my journey was all about hearing massive amounts of fluent speech (reading out loud alone) I can totally see how that worked. It showed you that you possess the natural speaking ability like everyone else. >using techniques to never stutter again while working on all of this so I would stop ''seeing'' myself as someone who stuttered I personally think techniques are a sort of bandaid solution to stuttering that aren't sustainable enough. It's kind of like singing. We don't stutter when we sing. Fluency shaping can be like that. We're not really speaking - we're doing something else. That's not to say they don't help but they don't go to the root of the issue. I also think the approach of "do x and y so I never stutter again" can be a slippery slope because sometimes the more we try not to stutter the worse it gets. I remember being a covert stutterer with that approach and it created havoc in my life. Even though no one knew I stuttered and my "image" was of a fluent speaker, it took too much energy. I really think it's a triggered trauma response that needs to get retrained/healed. The neurological perspective of stuttering still hasn't been proven in research. Stutterers use the right side of the brain when they speak but research still hasn't shown if that is the cause or effect of stuttering. ​ >I only joined this group recently and it's amazing how I can see my former self in peoples' stories. I hadn't even realized how much my attitude and personality had changed. That gives people hope! congrats