I wish there were more posts like this. Yes indeed, it might be uncomfortable openly talking about the problems of stuttering, but if we - the people who stutter - can't even honestly discuss with each other the 90% that we experience below the iceberg. **Then, how can we expect others to empathize with and properly understand our stutter experience?** There is already so much stigma and denial self-perpetuating this negative chain reaction. So much so that [Yaruss](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stutter/comments/16o8l2l/participate_in_stuttering_research_exploring_the/) (PhD researcher) found in 2023, that 67.9% of **adults who stutter** experience suicidal ideation. Whereas for non-stutterers the prevalence of suicidal ideation is 2.0% according to [Borges](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tl7764WsaYVgkwU-nc9oJI_lo-J8Y0iv/view?pli=1). The whole point of Yaruss' research, was to: (1) encourage open discussions about suicidal ideation within the stuttering community - to reduce stigma and increase awareness, (2) addressing negative thoughts and feelings related to stuttering, depression, social isolation, and low self-esteem - to change suicidal thoughts over time, and (2) analyzing triggers to suicidal thoughts, such as, changes in fluency, adverse life events, illness, and work-related challenges, such as: 1. ridicule, and discrimination due to stuttering 2. feelings of wasted or stolen life experiences because of stuttering 3. chronic physical illnesses and family-related stress 4. frustration from a bad day of stuttering and the lack of hope for improvement 5. a sense of worthlessness and unfulfilled potential 6. stress, anxiety, grief, friend problems, and romantic relationship issues 7. experiences of abuse and feelings of worthlessness 8. fear of being looked at differently due to stuttering 9. negative reactions and judgments from others 10. reminders of inadequacy due to speech difficulties 11. perceptions of others that limit opportunities due to stuttering >*"What else do PWS experience that is considered below the iceberg?"* In my opinion: * Stereotyped media portrayals * Childhood bullying * Perfectionist society * Voice automated phone systems * Time limited interviews * Negative language around stuttering * Stuttering seen as nervousness, lying, not speaking the truth, not being ourselves, not being serious, or listeners constantly perceiving our message differently than how we had intented e.g., perceived as irony * Stuttering seen as a disability enabling others to treat us like a joke, disabled person or treating us like a person who can't communicate Conclusion: All this, collectively, is what PWS in this subreddit often consider as: "listeners don't care about stuttering". However, if these 90% of things truly play a significant role below the iceberg, then this is extremely unhealthy to people who stutter. If the listeners are only aware of the visible repetitions and blocks, completely overlooking what lies beneath the surface, then they are essentially judging a book by its cover.. basically, they jump to conclusions too quickly, and thus, they see the tree but missing the forest. So, even if listeners don't care about stuttering, this will only enable listeners to not empathize with and not properly understand our stutter experience, and thus reinforce the vicious circle. This is just my own take on it.