Losing myself and feeling hold back due to my stutter
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Losing myself and feeling hold back due to my stutter Hello everyone, TLDR: I feel out of touch with myself and need people to chat about it. I hope you're all doing well. I (25M) wanted to reach out to this community because I've been feeling quite lost lately, and I could really use some support and advice. I am here to seek for people who are struggling or feeling the same lately. To be honest, I've been feeling incredibly lonely and out of touch with myself. It's like I'm drifting through life, and the only thing that seems to define me is my stutter. Every decision I make, every interaction I have, it's all colored by this constant fear of not being able to communicate effectively. Since the start of this year my stutter had become so bad that in my opinion normal communication in Dutch isnt even possible anymore, in English, my second language it is so freaking fluent. Recently, I had a birthday dinner with my family (my brothers birthday), and as I watched my little brother, I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. He's so effortlessly social, thriving in his student life, while I struggle to connect with others. It's not that I'm not happy for him; I am. But it's hard not to compare our lives and feel like I'm falling short somehow. It makes me feel like I missed the boat and that I am so far behind in life. According to my family I have everything, but there is so much they dont know about. I feel like I have no social contacts whatsoever, and it's taking a toll on me emotionally. I want to break out of this cycle of isolation, but I'm not sure where to start. How do you find the courage to put yourself out there when you're constantly battling self-doubt and insecurity? If anyone has been through something similar or has any advice to offer, I would be incredibly grateful. Sometimes, just knowing that you're not alone in your struggles can make all the difference. If anyone is open to chat feel free to send me a PM Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate any support you can offer.