Speech

I read a great deal about speech problems with PD and it's mostly slurring or soft speech. I do have a slight slurring problem but my main thing is an occasional stammer. Am I in a minority in this?
Hi Horace,

Don't think you are. I have definitely developed a stammer since the onset of Pd. I am a lot more nervous in front of people, which probably contributes but does not cause the stammer, there are certain words I just can't pronounce now, in fact I find myself thinking more carefully about my choice of words because some are easy and others more difficult to pronounce. I have had many positions in the past where public speaking was required in front of crowds, couldn't do that now. I find that if I am in a room full of people now I just clam up, I am no longer heard easily. This is one of the unseen symptoms, very frustrating. Fortunately for me, I have a very extrovert wife who makes up for me in company. I feel your frustration.
Many thanks for that Chris 10.
I also find it most difficult when in company. I simply have to concentrate the whole time and it's quite wearing.
Horace
I've had a stammer all my life. Since the emergence of my PD it has become harder to initiate speech before I actually stammer. After all, PD affects movement and speaking is an incredibly complex set of movements. I'm surprised it's not more common in PD

dr jonny
You are not alone. I stammer and choke on words when speaking "off the cuff". To battle this condition, I tend not to talk and perhaps that is a relief to the people around me. I did the voice therapy thing and it really helped. Unfortunately, I stupidly quit doing the voice exercises and now people are often saying,"What did you say?" or "Whatzthat?" or "Come again." etc. You get the picture. All in all, it doesn't really bother me because I never really had much to say in any event.
See my blog post:

http://dialoguewithdisability.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/why-i-stammer.html

dr jonny
Many thanks for that dr jonny it made a lot of sense.
Horace
[::Viscouse dog::]
Hello Horace, my main problem is slurring of my speech, sometimes its like being drunk, also if I am in the company of strangers in the quiet of a railway station
running scared, laying low seeking out the poorer quarters where the ragged people
go looking for the places only they would know, La La Lah, sorry sorry, slipped into Paul Simon mode for a second, I do this at times. Getting back on track, People People who need people, sorry sorry, people who are afflicted with this evil illness know what they want to say, and the Brain begins to send the signals to the voice box tongue and jaw muscles etc to form the words you need to say, all this normally is done in microseconds fully automatic, but the connections do not link up due to faulty dopamine producing cells and instead of a smooth flow of conversation ,stammering begins, this causes embarrassment which causes frustration which wrecks your self confidence and so on and on ,Its a unfortunate
effect of BLACKHEART, I have my own brand of therapy to eradicate this annoying
trait, I give long talks on LIVING WITH PD at NTGH this drives back the fear of
speaking in public and cures any encounters with stammering, I can thoroughly
recommend it ,it does work, confidence soars and you have the added knowledge that teaching the students about PD is kicking back at PD,its the only way I can
and I enjoy it, I am transported to and fro by taxi so it doesn't cost me anything
Kindest Regards fedex
:grin:
For some reason in my last post the grinning smiley has been replaced by vicious
dog,I KNOW NATHING HAIM FROM BACELONA,:rolling_eyes: this TOPLAP often goes off on one especially if I have awakened early and disturbed her slumbers, strange eh.
FEDEX
Thanks FedEx,

I find that if I concentrate I can often see it coming and head it off at the pass, so to speak. I find if I take the dust from a long sleepless night and put in your little shoe ............. Sorry, I seemed to have slipped intio Leonard Cohen mode for a second or two.
Love your humour. Thanks again,

Horace