Reply To: Do adult ADHDers commonly talk in higher voice?

[kayou]

I have had issues with mys speech as long as I can remember.  Both too high and too fast.  It became a real issue in school because of public speaking assignements.  I finally found a temporary solution about 7 years ago online which was to learn to breathe like a singer.  Then a therapist introduced my to cardiac coherence which is an alternative therapy that recommeds that 3 times a day at a rate of 6 breathes a minute, I do 5 minutes of deep breathing, (the 365 principal) I would never have made the connection, but it seems it has to do with my breathing.  When I am breathing from the diaphragm  (like a singer, the speed, volume, tone of my voice is much more “normal” and pleasant.  Other symptoms are positively affected by this type of excercise were that my writing was legible.  I have always had to re write my notes as I noticed that I cannot compose/think and write neatly at the same time.  Which is why I prefer to type everything instead of writing.  But it seems as if I clench my gut and stop breathing properly when I am formulating my thoughts into words, which happens both when I speak or when I write.

When I do this regularly, there are other benefits which I think are side effects of general mindfulness.  As if my shallow breathing and clenched gut are the beginning of a chain of subconscious behaviours.  Deep diaphragm breathing leads to regulated speech and writing, and better posture, relaxed neck and shoulders, less likely to be frustrated and disturbed, less lassitude and sharp peaks of energy, more aware of changes in my body and emotions,  better able to identify feelings and emotions (for example, I know sooner that I will be hungry, and can differentiate between hungry and anxious), and my movements and actions are more controlled in general.  Being aware of my mind/body sooner means that I have more time and energy to prepare for them.  So I can get a healthy snack instead of just grabbing the chips in the vending machine etc.

One obvious positive affect is that my singing has also improved.  This is probably not ADHD related but it may be indicative of whether or not this trick will work for others,  I have a really hard time singing, in that it is physically painful to my throat.  One verse in church and I’m done till the next song.

There are several how to guide to correct breathing for singing online.  (it’s the type I breathing I tend to use naturally when I am blowing up a balloon, or blowing bubbles.

Please write back if this helps.

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