SD as a Mindbody Disease

As the result of my own resolution of Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia and my work with others, I am beginning to view SD as a Mindbody disease.

My research has continued in earnest and from my communications with hundreds of SD clients, I am sensing the need for a changing paradigm. This is my opinion from my personal experience, and I realize I risk criticism, and that there will be skeptics. But I am seeing people overcome this “incurable condition” much as I did. Even after years of botox, or in the face of a scheduled surgery, and sometimes AFTER surgeries, these brave people embrace the alternative, and win.

I believe we are seeing variable etiologies in our SD patients. These include extreme over-use and mis-use of the voice over a long period of time. It is common in attorneys, pastors, administrator/managers, and others who use their voices in professional and/or emotionally charged scenarios. It occurs after viral or bacterial infections, possibly as a result of inflammation of the vagus nerve. This seems more prevalent when an infection follows a period of great stress, when the body may be in a weakened condition. It can result in the situation of a trauma or severe emotional conflict. Whatever the etiology, something profound happens with regard to voice production and this happens in the body, literally. The physical symptoms are very real, and the faulty voice production gets grooved in and quickly becomes automatic. I will not argue the neurological cause of SD, as it seems to happen with regard to the sensory-motor loop in voice production. What I do argue is the permanent or incurable nature of the neuromotor problem. I believe that I, and others have been able to recreate the normal neural pathway for the voice.

SD seems to be diagnosed with increasing frequency; and the gold standard of botox injections recommended straight away. The assumption that SD symptoms result from an incurable neurological disorder is stated as truth, without the necessary scientific proof. This is happening in our university training programs and in hospitals and clinics world-wide. Due to the history of poor results with traditional voice therapy, it is frequently bypassed altogether. People are told, and then believe, that there is no hope for them; no help other than botox or surgery, and that they are to expect a life-long disability. Misinterpretation of the permanence of the disorder tends to worsen the symptoms. Fear perpetuates and intensifies the voice problem.

I am trying to unravel just how the voice can be re-created; and it is incredibly complex and different for each person with SD. What I do clearly see, however, is the mindbody connection. This does not mean that SD is a psychological disorder, as was initially proposed. I recognize that there most definitely is a neurological malfunction. But I also recognize that we can use our mind's intention to change the body, and that includes sensory-motor/neural-motor programming. Voice production is highly automatic and intricately intertwined with emotion. But we can establish more volitional control of our voice and all the related phenomena, such as breathing, so that right action and intention changes function. It creates a new “automatic” and more normal voice production. Change begins with hope and the belief that this can be accomplished, and with overcoming the fear which perpetuates the disorder. A commitment to the program and compliance follows in those who succeed.

This program is not a fail-safe 100% successful program. It is not a “cure” for SD. But it is a valuable alternative for SD that has been shown to be successful in restoring normal or significantly improved voice production in the majority of those participating to date. More information can be found on the testimonials page of my website. www.freetospeakvoicetherapy.com

The following recommended reading has contributed to the idea of SD as a mindbody disease and the power of mental intention in healing:

Everything you need to know to feel Go(o)d, by Candace Pert, PhD.

Molecules of Emotion, by Candace Pert, PhD.

Psychosomatic Wellness: Healing your Bodymind, by Candace Pert, PhD (CD)

The Secret ( www.thesecret.tv/ ) - DVD

The Divided Mind: the Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders, by John Sarno, M.D.

The Mindbody Prescription, by John Sarno, M.D.

The Mind and the Brain: Neuroplasticity and the Power of Mental Force , By Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D. and Sharon Begley

Voice and the Alexander Technique, by Jane Ruby Hierich

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