Do you think reading aloud has helped you very much? My concern is that if I commit to that then it will help me read aloud but it won’t help me speak in conversational situations. I like the “fuck it, only one life” attitude. I go on a lot of ski trips, hiking, backpacking, etc. all totally alone. I figure at least if my social life is going to be dead on arrival then at least I can have some unique experiences. I have so many opportunities to make friends and I’m not necessarily bad at making conversation; I just can’t say a full sentence without stuttering for 30 seconds. It’s brutal. I can tell my life would be pretty damn good comparatively if I was a fluent speaker. But because I’m not, I’m constantly dwelling on this feeling of inadequacy and worthlessness. Therapists never seem to know what to say because there is nothing to say that’s going to make it okay that, effectively, I’m a mute. I’m on track to become a technical writer and I think my biggest fear is not getting hired of being paid less than my coworkers because I stutter.