Causes of a monotone voice? neurological, trauma? (trigger)

Asperger's diagnosis and have many reasons to doubt it, not the least of which because I have been told I don't really miss social cues. The main thing is lack of "reciprocal communication" which was noted due to the fact that I speak in a monotone.

Can this be psychological or must it always be neurological? Can trauma such as what would cause BPD also cause one to speak without inflection? I tend to not express emotions much generally, except for being extremely passive-aggressive and resentful towards many people and many things.

I have many siblings, and the older ones have a similar voice. None of them would meet the criteria for Asperger's even to the same extent as me. How can one determine whether a monotone voice is due to neurological or due to environmental factors? And, if so, what environmental factors might cause a monotone voice?

I also have Nonverbal Learning Disorder, a right-brain impairment, which could also explain it. But my siblings who also have this don't.

Does anyone else with BPD who has experienced trauma have this?

I have no idea but if i was making a guess i'd say its not got a traumatic cause, especially since other members of your family do this too. Have you asked your parents if any of their siblings did it?

It sounds somewhat like it could be hereditary.

Another thought that comes to mind is that often people with schizophrenia speak "without affect" which makes them sound monotone. I remember one or two people who did this from a support group i used to belong to. In their case it has to be neurological. The sort of thing you've described sounds a lot like what goes on with them.

The best thing to do is discuss it with your doctors and therapists. Not to mention googling.

fiftysix wrote:I have no idea but if i was making a guess i'd say its not got a traumatic cause, especially since other members of your family do this too. Have you asked your parents if any of their siblings did it?

It sounds somewhat like it could be hereditary.

Another thought that comes to mind is that often people with schizophrenia speak "without affect" which makes them sound monotone. I remember one or two people who did this from a support group i used to belong to. In their case it has to be neurological. The sort of thing you've described sounds a lot like what goes on with them.

The best thing to do is discuss it with your doctors and therapists. Not to mention googling.

I'm pretty skeptical of therapists and doctors after getting multiple incorrect diagnoses. I think, in today's commoditized world of corporate skullduggery influencing everything, not walking into the doctor's office informed is asking for trouble since they are used to just making money by prescribing dangerous medications.

Also, those of my siblings who have this grew up under the same traumatic circumstances, and at least one has, if not BPD also, something else just as bad that has left him institutionalized and then homeless. There is nothing like this in my family tree. But my siblings and I were raised in a very repressive religious environment that included beatings for expressing emotions and being normal children, as well as nearly complete isolation from other children, and slight malnourishment.

I am sorry to hear you had such a traumatic childhood. In that case, may be it is possible that it was caused by that but if so, speech therapy should be able to train you back to normal speech patterns.

I am also sorry you feel the way you do about the mental health professions. Its not easy to diagnose people, especially when patients are so afraid to share all the relevant details of their circumstances.

Sometimes people don't share the relevant details because they simply don't even realise the significance of such details. I know i've been tripped up on that one.

But my experience with mental health is not the same as yours and while there are of course bad doctors and therapists, i think on the whole they mean well and are doing their best.

Its not an easy job.

fiftysix wrote:I am sorry to hear you had such a traumatic childhood. In that case, may be it is possible that it was caused by that but if so, speech therapy should be able to train you back to normal speech patterns.

I am also sorry you feel the way you do about the mental health professions. Its not easy to diagnose people, especially when patients are so afraid to share all the relevant details of their circumstances.

Sometimes people don't share the relevant details because they simply don't even realise the significance of such details. I know i've been tripped up on that one.

But my experience with mental health is not the same as yours and while there are of course bad doctors and therapists, i think on the whole they mean well and are doing their best.

Its not an easy job.

I don't know. I'm just interested if someone else with BPD/trauma has had a similar manifestation.

Anyway, I still use the medical profession. It's just my strategy now to make sure I'm informed before I walk into the office. I have been fed a lot of #######4 in the past and been prescribed dangerous medications that caused me to simply act out and get into trouble.

Another cause for a monotone voice could be depression or dysphoria. You could also be someone who tends to repress their emotions (for whatever reasons) which means that would be psychological. Repressed emotions could come from incomplete mourning about some event in your life or because of repressed anger about something (or both).
Signs of repressed anger:
procrastination, cynicism / pessimism, insomnia or excessive sleep, inappropriate drowsiness, fist clenching, "road rage", lateness, sighing, waking up tired, tiring easily, back pain, irritability, "rage attacks", sadistic or sarcastic humor, inappropriate cheerfulness, overcontrolled monotone voice, clenched jaws ("TMJ") and/or teeth grinding, muscle spasms, tics, or twitches

I'd say anyone of those causes could fit you.

Noiran wrote:Another cause for a monotone voice could be depression or dysphoria. You could also be someone who tends to repress their emotions (for whatever reasons) which means that would be psychological. Repressed emotions could come from incomplete mourning about some event in your life or because of repressed anger about something (or both).
Signs of repressed anger:
procrastination, cynicism / pessimism, insomnia or excessive sleep, inappropriate drowsiness, fist clenching, "road rage", lateness, sighing, waking up tired, tiring easily, back pain, irritability, "rage attacks", sadistic or sarcastic humor, inappropriate cheerfulness, overcontrolled monotone voice, clenched jaws ("TMJ") and/or teeth grinding, muscle spasms, tics, or twitches

I'd say anyone of those causes could fit you.

Yes, everything I bolded describes me. Did you make that list knowing me? Ok....So it could very much be related to the causes of BPD. Where could I find more information? Can't the "acting in" version of BPD have repressed anger as a key symptom?

I am very much one who represses all sorts of emotions. But occasionally, I do act out, and it isn't pretty, especially when I get drunk. I am one of the most vindictive people you will meet and very sensitive to other people's moods and faces, such as if they appraise me negatively.

Tyri0n wrote:Yes, everything I bolded describes me. Did you make that list knowing me? Ok....So it could very much be related to the causes of BPD. Where could I find more information? Can't the "acting in" version of BPD have repressed anger as a key symptom?

I am very much one who represses all sorts of emotions. But occasionally, I do act out, and it isn't pretty, especially when I get drunk. I am one of the most vindictive people you will meet and very sensitive to other people's moods and faces, such as if they appraise me negatively.

No, I just googled repressed anger. But I mean reading your posts some of those manifestations seem to fit you. I'd say that repressed anger can be a sign of different things among them childhood experiences but also unresolved issues in general, may or may not be related to BPD (but such issues can lead to BPD or reinforce it). E.g. you could repress anger because you felt abandoned or neglected as a child and hence enact revenge on the world around you for neglecting your needs. Also passive-aggressiveness also does correlate with repressed anger, such as in being angry at controlling authority figures.

Being sensitive to negative moods and facial movements of other people is something pwBPD actually do have. They are better at detecting them, like an emotional bias.
Just google some key-words. Like anger and BPD or something.