Better speech when socializing

halfin · 10-30-2009, 07:24 PM

I'm curious if anyone else has noticed this effect. I had bulbar onset a few months ago but haven't had much progression. My speech is a little worse sometimes. What I've noticed is that if I am in a situation where I am nervous or tense, my speech actually gets better. This happens a lot at the doctor's office, or really any time I'm around strangers (I'm not too sociable). But when I am at home and just talking to my wife, very relaxed and comfortable, my speech gets worse, much more slurred, and I often have difficulty getting words out. When I'm tense it's like I have more energy to direct to my speech muscles.

BethU · 10-30-2009, 07:29 PM

Hal, I found that back in the day when I could still talk. The more energy I had, the more I was able to project my voice, and the clearer the words were.

GlenBrittle · 10-30-2009, 11:13 PM

Only when I was angry , and trying to be louder would the speech improve. But , afterwards, its like I used it all up.

Grrrrrrr

handinhand · 10-30-2009, 11:14 PM

I have found that when I get tired at the end of the day is when my voice is the worst. If I am with friends and talking alot. I can tell my voice is getting weaker. Sometimes the whole word will not come out... Strange feeling. I just have to stop. No more sound comes out for a while.... This is the latest with my wonderful speech

rose · 10-30-2009, 11:25 PM

Linda, try popping on your bipap for a while each afternoon, or whenever you're fatigued. I just had written this on another thread ~ my voice always gets fainter and fainter the more tired I am, even if I haven't been using it, Taking some time out to rest, and have the help with breathing during that time. Its effective.

John1 · 10-31-2009, 12:15 AM

Hal, my experience is the reverse. When I'm under a bit of stress, my speech deteriorates. For example, today I was in what turned out to be a 5 hour line up outside a clinic waiting for a swine flu shot. A CBC film crew singled me out of the thousands in the line to interview, probably because I was in sunglasses reading a book on my scooter and looked a bit unusual. When I watched the interview tonight on the evening news I noticed my speech was worse than it had been earlier in the day in just a social situation at work.

lydia · 10-31-2009, 09:48 AM

Hal,

I experience what you describe. My speech with family and close friends is much worse than with students, co-workers, strangers. I think I subconsciously make a concerted effort to articulate carefully when speaking with "others", but when with family I just am what I am! My speech difficulties are apparent with both groups, but much more so with family. I am not sure if it is because I am usually tired when with family, or talk more, that it shows so much more with them. I think it is probably about being relaxed and not feeling the need to put up a facade and to think about every word I say so it all just comes out, garbled or not.

While I have discussed my speech issues with my neuros (a year ago) they did not "hear" it, but at least acknowledged it, suggesting it may have come from a stroke. Since it is not improved, but only worsened, I think I have reached the point where the impaired speech, even when careful attention is paid to articulating, is becoming obvious to any listener. I assume it will provide another clue to the as-yet-unnamed mystery disorder that I have the pleasure of living with.

Lydia