Vocal abuse is the misuse of the voice that can cause (or has already caused) permanent damage to the vocal cords. Teachers, coaches, trainers, public speakers, and politicians are the most likely candidates for vocal abuse. However, anyone who uses their voice a lot during the day can experience the symptoms: chronic sore throat, hoarseness, and even loss of voice.

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with 3 people in particular who are experiencing some type of vocal abuse.

A woman in her 50s, Jennifer has been working as an online hypnotist for the past year. He contacted me because he had been losing his voice after just one 1 hour session with a client. Upon visiting an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, he discovered that he had nerve damage to his vocal cords, which he suffered after a catastrophic event in his life a few years ago. (Yes, the mind can do that to us!) Once he discovered his ‘real’ voice, he was able to get through his 1 hour sessions with voice to spare.

Thomas, in his late 50s, is an audiobook narrator who couldn’t hold his “tomorrow” (reading) voice for more than an hour or so. As he went about his day, his voice continued to deteriorate. After visiting an otolaryngologist, he discovered that his vocal cords were not closing completely. Although he has his own methods to deal with this closure problem, since he discovered his ‘real’ voice, he can maintain his morning sound much longer than before.

Considerably younger than Jennifer or Thomas, Robert owns many companies. He is on the phone from morning to night. At 29 years old, Robert experiences a sore throat at the end of the day. However, he has noticed a great improvement in recent weeks. If Robert had not sought help, I know that he would eventually experience some type of permanent damage to his throat and vocal cords.

What are these three people doing differently now that they have discovered their ‘real’ voice?

1. They are breathing with the support of their diaphragm, something that the majority of the population is not doing.

2. They are using your chest cavity to power and amplify your sound, only possible if you are breathing properly.

3. They discovered the optimal tone of their voice when speaking, only possible if they breathe correctly and use their chest as their main sounding board.

The result is that the wear and tear on the vocal cords and throat decreased. In the process, however, they discovered a richer, warmer, deeper voice that sounds more mature. They also found that they can now increase their volume without yelling. That’s a win-win situation!