# Speaking clearly



## burton21 (Jan 18, 2006)

Just recently I've become aware that I run words together, and that I some times speak incoherently. I don't stutter, I just feel like I have to speak really fast before I run out of air, or I become afraid that I'm going to mess up what I'm saying. Consequently, I slur and omit syllables. Most of the time I can speak clearly with no problem, but when I'm aware that I am speaking or when I'm under any kind of pressure to speak it get's really bad. So I think it may be anxiety related. I'm really out my wits end, I'm tired of people looking at me like I'm crazy when I say something. Has anyone else had this problem?


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## rdf8585 (Nov 19, 2004)

*re*

I do. When I get nervous, my voice waivers and I often put words in the wrong order, don't say what I intended to, or don't pronounce them clearly.


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## popcorn (Dec 18, 2005)

Yeah I have this problem too. I think it's part of my SA-I get really nervous and it happens. Blah. :mum


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## Nyx (Nov 17, 2003)

I slur and omit my syllables all the time  I don't know what else to do about it but talk slowly and carefully, but I'm afraid of being called slow if I do this.


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Yeah, I have this problem. I have problems with starting words ("I was dr- ... driving..."), word finding issues (forgetting the names of things when I'm anxious), hypernasality, low volume, light contact on consonants from mumbling, and so on. I have a chronic voice disorder called muscle tension dysphonia which is caused by anxiety: it's characterized by a hoarse, tight voice, and the cause is tight muscles around the larynx. It only lets up when I can deal with the underlying anxiety and/or do laryngeal manipulations on myself. I also have secondary problems (swallowing in the middle of phrases, coughing, etc).

I have some other larger semantic-pragmatic problems with my language too, like many people with avoidant and depressed personalities, but that's another issue.

I use on myself the same techniques that I've taught my stuttering clients, and they work well.


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## friend_Z (Jan 3, 2006)

It's good that you've become aware of it.

I mumbled and slurred words together for some time before I really became aware. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I don't usually see much value in the things I say. A lot of times when I _am _talking, I just want to get it over with.

When I catch myself mumbling to someone I might apologize before repeating what I said, a little slower and with more enunciation.


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## missnat84 (Dec 31, 2004)

I slur my words and mix them up all the time and i feel like i'm gonna die of embarassment when it happens :afr


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## shadowplay (Mar 25, 2005)

What we all have to keep in mind is that a word pace that we find idioticly slow is in fact normal to others. We're either so shy or worry so much about what others think we'll say that we try to get it out as fast as possible. This leads to slurring and the embarassing "What did you say?" from the other person. 

Slow speech can sound very contemplative and sincere when the correct intonation and modulation are used. Unfortunately, I suck at these. But I do think practice can help, such as reading aloud and trying to make it sound conversational. Well-paced, clear speech goes a long way toward people believing you are confident and socially competent, even if you don't feel it inside. 

The large part of my SA is due to lack of social graces. My parents never taught me by example the correct way of interacting with people.


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## burton21 (Jan 18, 2006)

I'm very glad to know I'm not the only one. And thank you very much for the advice. My problem so far seems that practicing by myself isn't of much help since it all goes out the window when I'm actually in a situation where I have to talk. But I'll deifinatly try that.

Has anyone tried any kind of speech therapy for this problem, and if so, was it successful? Also, if you've taken any treatment for social anxiety has it helped to improve your speech?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

burton21 said:


> Has anyone tried any kind of speech therapy for this problem, and if so, was it successful? Also, if you've taken any treatment for social anxiety has it helped to improve your speech?


I've never taken speech therapy, but I do give speech therapy in a public school setting. I'm not ASHA certified (yet), I will be. I also apply speech therapy priniciples to my own problems. They are successful if I apply them. If I had someone to be accountable to (a therapist) it would help me enormously with my hypernasality because I do not use steady breath patterns enough, and I don't practice this. Also I don't have like a nasometer or anything. Self-referencing for resonance just isn't the same!

So, to answer your question, I _wish _I were in speech therapy! :|

Slow talk is enormously helpful. This also has to be practiced however. Currently there is some debate over whether and to what extent speech rate can influence your mood, but it seems to have some effects. Unfortunately I don't know of any anxiety-specific programs or even webpages on slow-talk other than what I use for my clients. The best advice (barring anything more) is to slow down just a little bit, not a _lot_, when you talk. Make a point of doing this and read things out loud just a little bit to yourself, short articles or paragraphs. Build up. Eventually you can try slowing down your speech in conversations. (But you MUST practice this first. Remember, speech is AUTOMATIC. It's a neurological event. To retrain a neurological event takes time and some degree of effort, so don't just expect to slow down when you're at ground zero of being in a social situation. You have to practice this in comfortable surroundings first.)

One idea is to select a paragraph or passage and time yourself reading it, and try to slow down the time. Steadily decrease the time bit by bit. Even exaggerate... slow down a lot, reaaaallly slow it down. Double your time. Make sure your voice is _on _during the entire passage and that it is smooth. Keep an interesting lilt to your voice. It'll be slower than you'd use in real-life, but it can help if you just have trouble with slowing down period, or with non-pathological stuttering.

For slurring it helps to remember that 95% of the information of spoken language (in English) is delivered through consonants. So even if you feel uncomfortable and shy speaking loudly, use firm contact on consonants and emphasize those over vowels when speaking. Always always always emphasize the consonants.

If you need any more ideas, feel free to ask.


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## Bon1 (Jan 17, 2005)

I do this.......When nervous "Bon, slow down, think before you talk"

On the other hand.........I"m deaf in one ear..........People no longer anunciate (sp)! (I tell myself that to make myself feel better.;-D)


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

Bon said:


> I do this.......When nervous "Bon, slow down, think before you talk"
> 
> On the other hand.........I"m deaf in one ear..........People no longer anunciate (sp)! (I tell myself that to make myself feel better.;-D)


Leading cause of deafness in this country... mumbling. :duck

My mom is deaf in her left ear. Well not deaf per se, she has a 65 dB hearing loss but anyway...


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## Bon1 (Jan 17, 2005)

Me left ear too;-)................ It does factor in.......


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## Argo (May 1, 2005)

I'm prone to talking too low, as well as coughing up all my words in a jumble .... you know, spilling them out so fast they kind of run over each other. Now and again some odd word will give me trouble, and I'll stutter over it before I can get it out. None of this is stuff that happens all the time, but it happens enough to take notice. I think it mainly comes down to lack of use. Seriously, I could spend days without talking to someone. I have to clear my throat a lot because I get hoarse so easily, from not talking. My voice isn't bad, necessarily; I could sit here and read aloud a page from a book and it would all come out fine; but when you're in a social setting and need to improvise speech it's like walking around with stiff sleepy limbs for someone like me. Sometimes you trip.


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## VeronicaM (Dec 4, 2005)

This happens to me ALL the time.


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## SVIIC (Apr 15, 2005)

It seems to me that it helps if you don't think in sentences, but focus on saying each word.


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## RainPetal (Jun 21, 2005)

It happens to me a lot. When I talk to someone often they don't understand and I've got to repeat it. I tend to mix up words without meaning to. My voice is fast and quiet. I tried doing something about it years ago but it just improved my pronounciation accent.


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## ghostgurl (Sep 20, 2004)

I notice I have a lot of pauses(when I have to think) when I'm explaining a story. I'll also leave things out.


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## FreeSoul (Jan 1, 2006)

burton21 said:


> Has anyone tried any kind of speech therapy for this problem, and if so, was it successful? Also, if you've taken any treatment for social anxiety has it helped to improve your speech?


I stutter somewhat and I've had speech therapy before...
But I wasn't able to complete it due to SAD interfering with practice.

The way i see it now, my stuttering is a result of SAD, so treat the SAD first and the stuttering should lessen or disapear.


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