You're making me all sorts of homesick with that icon.

On a more serious note, I wouldn't want to hang out in a group with unfamiliar people in what little spare time I could create for myself either. It does sound like you've put some serious consideration into wanting to improve your speech though. Is there any way you could get in to see an actual speech therapist? Someone who can help you with your speech patterns without all the emotional therapy crap thrown in on top?