Losing your voice can have a huge psychosocial impact.
A recent news story highlights the plight of a single parent who lost her voice for 6 weeks after catching a cold, and needed speech therapy to bring it back: (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128359885).
When she was suddenly unable to say anything other than a forced whisper, Julie thought her cold had turned into laryngitis. There was no problem with her language – she knew exactly what she wanted to say, but her vocal folds (voice box) simply
wouldn’t work. The strain and stress of trying to talk in everyday situations made her feel unwell and even led to the loss of her job, as she was no longer able to speak to customers. She found that at group gatherings people wouldn’t talk to her because she was unable to talk back, which made her feel even worse.
Julie underwent several tests and scans to rule out underlying medical conditions such as cancer, infection, and acid reflux. When these came back negative, she was referred to speech & language therapy with a suspected voice disorder.
There are a number of different types of voice disorder and nearly all of them have multifactorial causes – genes, physical problems, stress/anxiety, environment, neurology and many other factors can all contribute. Strictly speaking, it is not entirely understood why some people are more likely to get a voice problem than others. Similarly, different types of therapy will therefore suit different people. For example, working on breathing and posture can work wonders for some, whereas counselling and stress reduction methods can also be of great benefit to many clients. In Julie’s case, massage of the muscles around her voicebox completely resolved her voice problem – within minutes.
Julie found that losing her voice severely impacted on her quality of life. She lost her job and her confidence in socialising. Everyday situations such as speaking to her family, a shop assistant or bus conductor became impossible. Fortunately, Julie’s situation was resolved within 6 weeks, but many individuals struggle for much longer periods without the support they need.
I.T.S. can provide speech & language therapy for adults as well as children. Information about their adult services can be found here – https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/services-adults
Further Information
British Voice Association – http://www.british-voice-association.com/index.htm
Mathieson, L. (2001). Greene and Mathieson’s The Voice & Its Disorders (6th Ed.) London: Whurr.
Sarah Bennington – June 2010
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. ITS ia private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.
