CONTENT VS. TONE | ADHD Information

Well... I don't know about the ADD aspect but I have an unusual story to share about tone of voice:

After I had surgury (& morphine) I could 'feel' the clock tick on the wall. It actually hurt. Certain people also had the power to speak, and cause me to instantly cry based on the sound of their voice. Another person could change his voice to mimic the sound that hurt me so badly, and that also, would produce tears.

I do not know if this is a documented thing, or if I'm just 'the weird one', but even after so many years certain sounds, or pitches in a person's voice can spontainiously cause certain involuntary reactions from me.

I've learned to 'filter' them so I don't start laughing or crying at weird moments, but it is still, very odd.

when delving in interpersonal communication, conversation & relationships

I can be infuiated by HOW things are said rather than the actual content.

Is being "hyper-tuned" to tone of voice an ADD trait?

I used to could make my sister's dog cry when I spoke in a certain way.

It would go wrowwwwrrrrrroooooooowwwwwwwrrrrooooowwww

I would go away.

OMG RayRay, you just described ME! I've been trying to explain over and over to my husband that it's not so much as what you've said that has offended me but HOW you said it. I am very very sensitive to 'tone'.

Thanks for confirming that I'm not INSANE!

Tone of voice is everything, means even more..okay,no ....means just as much as the content,...it's sooooooo important.

I don't think it's an ADHD trait but  I guess it could be cause I think we are more intuative and sensitive than most "norms". 

I personally pick up on evereything. Sometimes I know what people are going to say or do before they do it.  It that PSYCHIC?  I think I'm somewhat phychic if that's psychic.  Anybody know what I mean?

i never sound aggressive but have been told ive come off as curt,short,

and annoyed or i cant be bothered.

Many times in the past, I have come off as short and ill tempered at times. when I  wasnt really feeling that way at all..

I'm overly aware of this and end up explaining myself a lot, then I find out that I didnt come off that way after all!  So now I'm just totally confused

And of course, I have already posted about my mom reacting to me "talking back"  Dont think I'll ever figure all this stuff out.. maybe I just think too much

Sherry

[QUOTE=LTC1]I pick up on the tone of voice. Exspecially people I know well. I can FEEL
distance, Irratability, an anger, from the tone of voice. I can also feel the
tone of good feelings, when they so rarely happen[/QUOTE]

Who said you could crawl into my mind??????? 

Scary Isin't IT!!!I pick up on the tone of voice. Exspecially people I know well. I can FEEL
distance, Irratability, an anger, from the tone of voice. I can also feel the
tone of good feelings, when they so rarely happen

[QUOTE=Wordwoman]Akira, sounds like you have synesthesia: http://www.mixsig.net/  [/QUOTE]

I checked that out, but I don't think I have synesthesia. It sounds more of a person being attuned to things in a different manner than I am.

On that site they say that synesthesia isn't curable, but my 'sensetivity' has diminished, and almost disapeared in some cases. Rarely do I start crying now. It does happen sometimes, but in far fewer instances than when it first started.

The pain aspect is still a little too frequent for me, but even that has improved greatly. Certain pitches of a voice, or a specific sound can still cause actual physical pain though.

There are still times when a sound can be so very uncomfortable, but at least I understand that I'm not being 'a woose'.

Goober (Goober),

That's me exactly.  I tried to explain that to my soon to be X for years.  Tone and the way things are said can be so hurtful!

maybe we are more sensitive.

words are only a part of communication. the rest of it is in tone, posture, phrasing...

having been a part of some abusive relationships, i have experienced the phenomenon of someone saying something 'innocent', that definitely had malicious meaning/intent.

OK... so, how many people have trouble with their *own* tone sometimes?

I do.  The nice way to put it is that I have a tendency to be emphatic.  Anyone else?
tone is 90% what i react to and hear. and intent. if someone says something nasty but didn't mean it (kinda it just came out a bit wrong) it never bothers me.

if they say something normal or inoffensive but underhand or in a nasty/angry/insidious tone of voice or they intend it to be hurtful even if the content, in fact, doesn't offend me - i react badly to it...

tone gets me far more than content. and i hear tone straightaway - whereas sometimes with content it's two hours later and i suddenly think "hang on a minute! they were being deliberatetly offensive then" and i only just noticed now.... (not always as quick off the mark as i'd like to think i am ). I don't know if ADHDers are more attuned to tone, but I think we are more likely to jump to conclusions about what the tone means and immediately react.  Akira, sounds like you have synesthesia:
http://www.mixsig.net/
Hey, aren't you at work?
WW?
Not bored ADHD distraction,
Are we?

hmmm. that is really interesting to ponder. I have often wondered if my Mom has ADD because of all the traits that I see in her. One thing that relatesto thispost is that she would be infuriated with me for "talking back"

It would throw her into a rage. The funny thing is, I could never tell when I was talking back, I still don't know what the tone of voice was that set her off! - and that was like, 25 years ago!

Sherry