
Identifying the type of speech problem can help, but ultimately it is an anxiety issue that will need to be addressed with a long-term strategy. During periods of intense anxiety, adrenaline can also cause a shaky voice and panic attacks can take away the brain’s energy to talk – leading to slurs and stutters. But until you cure your anxiety, you're still going to overthink and have to consciously control your voice and confidence.Īnxiety is a distracting condition, making it hard to speak. These are some of the most basic ways to ensure that your anxiety affects your speech patterns less. It's not necessarily a cure for your anxiety, but it will keep you from adding any extra stress that may contribute to further anxiousness. Drink Water Keeping your throat hydrated and clear will reduce any unwanted sounds that may make you self-conscious.To them it tends to look the same, and you won't have to deal with the stress of noticing someone's eye contact and gestures. Look at Foreheads Some people find that looking others in the eyes causes further anxiety.

That way you don't find yourself muttering as often or as easily. Ideally, try to start speaking loudly and confidently (even if you're faking it) from the moment you enter a room.
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Stuttering Similarly, anxiety can create stuttering.Speaking generally has to be natural to be clear, and when you overthink it's not uncommon to find the opposite effect. Anxiety can make it much harder to for you to think about the words you're going to say, which can cause you to step over yourself, forget words, replace words with incorrect words, and more. Trouble Putting Thoughts to Words Not all of the speech pattern symptoms of anxiety are physical either.Anxiety also increases the activity of your nervous system when your fight or flight response is activated your mouth will naturally produce less saliva as a natural side effect. One possible reason is that anxiety can make acid reflux symptoms worse, and those with acid reflux do have a tendency to wake up with sore throat and a loss of voice. Dry Throat/Loss of Voice Some people find that anxiety seems to dry out their throat, or cause them to feel as though they're losing their voice.Although many will think of this in terms of volume, talking down at your feet will also exacerbate the effect. This type of quietness is very common, and while not technically a speech pattern, it can make your entire voice and the way you speak sound different to others. Quiet Voice Those with anxiety - especially social phobia - often find that they also have a hard time speaking up in public.That can make it sound like it is cracking or vibrating, both of which are a sign to others that you're nervous. When you're talking, it feels like your voice box is shaking along with the rest of your body (and it is). Shaky Voice Perhaps the most well-known speech issue is simply a shaky voice.You should absolutely make sure that you're addressing your anxiety specifically.Īnxiety causes both physical and mental issues that can affect speech. How Anxiety Affects Speechĭifferent forms of anxiety seem to affect speech in different ways. In this article, we explore some of the ways that anxiety affects speech patterns and what you can do to stop it.

That's why it should come as little surprise to anyone that is suffering from anxiety that it can affect your speech patterns as well.Īnxiety is often apparent in your voice, which is why people can sometimes tell when you're feeling nervous. It overwhelms your senses, it overwhelms your thoughts, and it overwhelms your body. In many ways, anxiety is an overwhelming condition.
