My Voice, My Way
Welcome to “My Voice, My Way” – the podcast that gives a voice to those living with voice disorders.
I’m your host, Margaret Stoddart. I live with a complex voice condition – a combination of Muscle Tension Dysphonia and Spasmodic Dysphonia – and I’m also proud to serve as an Area Contact Leader for Dysphonia International, supporting others across the UK who are living with these often misunderstood conditions.
I created this podcast to raise awareness and start honest conversations about what it really means to live with a voice disorder.
Each episode, I speak with people who understand voice disorders from the inside – fellow sufferers, voice users, and expert clinicians, including ENT specialists, speech and language therapists, and clinical psychologists. Together, we explore the challenges, the treatments, the emotional impact – and the resilience it takes to reclaim our voices.
Whether you’re living with a voice disorder yourself, supporting someone who is, or working in voice care – you’re in the right place. This is a space for shared stories, practical insights, and above all – connection.
This is My Voice, My Way. Let’s get started.
My Voice, My Way
My Voice, My Way!
Hi, I'm Margaret Stoddart. I suffer with a voice condition called Muscle Tension Dysphonia. To explain this further, Dysphonia is defined as an abnormal sound of the voice, including hoarseness. Symptoms of hoarseness relate to problems in the sound-producing parts (vocal cords or folds) of the voice box or larynx. This results in a raspy, weak or airy voice. there are many other different conditions such as Spasmodic Dysphonia (SD), Vocal Tremor, Vocal cord Paralysis plus many more. I have suffered with this condition for around 6 years and have had various forms of treatment including, Speech and Language, Laryngeal Massage and now Botox. The purpose of starting these podcasts is to raise awareness of these conditions as I believe there is not enough known in the UK, despite 10% of the population suffering from related conditions. In this episode I talk a little bit about my condition and how Dysphonia International have been a fantastic support for me and I have also become an Area Contact Leader for them. If you would like to share your experiences please do get in touch and I will arrange to 'chat' with you. Together we can raise awareness!