Editing Stuttering (section)

===Feelings and attitudes===
Stuttering could have a significant negative cognitive and affective impact on the person who stutters. [[Joseph Sheehan]] described this in terms of an [[analogy]] to an iceberg, with the immediately visible and audible symptoms of stuttering above the [[waterline]] and a broader set of symptoms such as negative [[emotion]]s hidden below the surface.<ref>{{harvnb|Kalinowski|Saltuklaroglu|2006| p=17}}</ref> Feelings of [[embarrassment]], [[shame]], [[frustration]], [[fear]], [[anger]], and [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]] are frequent in people who stutter, and may increase tension and effort.<ref name="Guitar16–7">{{harvnb|Guitar|2005|pp=16–7}}</ref> With time, continued negative experiences may crystallize into a negative self-concept and self-image. People who stutter may project their own attitudes onto others, believing that the others think them nervous or stupid. Such negative feelings and attitudes may need to be a major focus of a treatment program.<ref name="Guitar16–7"/>

The impact of discrimination against stuttering can be severe. This may result in fears of stuttering in social situations, self-imposed isolation, anxiety, stress, shame, low self-esteem, being a possible target of bullying or discrimination, or feeling pressured to hide stuttering. In popular media, stuttering is sometimes seen as a symptom of anxiety, but there is no direct correlation in that direction.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Constantino |first1=Christopher |last2=Campbell |first2=Patrick |last3=Simpson |first3=Sam |title=Stuttering and the social model |journal=Journal of Communication Disorders |date=March 2022 |volume=96 |pages=106200 |doi=10.1016/j.jcomdis.2022.106200 |pmid=35248920 }}</ref>

Alternatively, there are those who embrace [[stuttering pride]] and encourage other stutterers to take pride in their stutter and to find how it has been beneficial for them.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

According to adults who stutter, however, stuttering is defined as a "constellation of experiences" expanding beyond the external disfluencies that are apparent to the listener. Much of the experience of stuttering is internal and encompasses experiences beyond the external speech disfluencies, which are not observable by the listener.<ref name=":0" />