u/Elegant_Ring_5695

I’m a music teacher and vocalist, but I’ve only been teaching private voice lessons for about six month. Took vocal ped in college but that was over ten years ago.
Anyway, I have an adult student who sounds lovely- but so quiet. I think she’s in her mixed register, but much closer to the head voice side of the spectrum. We’ve worked on breath support/coordination, exercises for more closure, forward placement, glottal onset, calling/shouting… to name a few. SHE knows she has more sound in her. We agree that a huge factor is confidence (or lack thereof)… it almost seems like she needs a mental breakthrough more than anything.
Any advice?

Particularly interested to hear from those who never suspected you might’ve had it as a child. Looking back, what do you see now that were probably ADHD-related symptoms?

I was homeschooled, and did fairly well overall, but I think the flexibility might have actually helped manage my ADHD in a way that it flew under the radar.

**Edit**
Looking back these are the symptoms I see in myself:
-clutzy
-procrastination
-messy room (housework is a nightmare to this day, it’s been my biggest indicator of neurodivergence)
-social anxiety
-could focus really well on math and piano, everything else was incredibly difficult to stay on task
-one job as a teen that I really struggled with was being in charge of cleaning tables, stocking napkins/condiments, checking in with guests. I was scolded for “lack of urgency” 🙄

My parents spanked me and my siblings for any hint of attitude or negativity, and I avoided that punishment by internalizing everything. But I definitely had big feelings that were repressed. I wonder what my behavior would have looked like if I was parented better.

Is it laziness/lack of discipline?
Lowkey childhood trauma, homeschooled and growing up with a SAHM?
Is it my complicated marriage, where my husband feels the need to “earn his keep” by doing every little thing himself?

I struggle with ADHD-like paralysis, and a lot of depressive feelings. I just try to keep my little ones happy, fed, clothed lol. I try to take care of myself as best as I can.
I try to talk about it in therapy but my therapist just says “things will change when the kids are older”. I know I thrive more as a working mom. I plan to return to work next year.

My husband was diagnosed with BP2 about seven years ago. He was deeply depressed/suicidal at times; other times he had big business ideas and would be writing poetry and rap non-stop. The BP diagnosis seemed to fit. He went on Latuda for a few months but he didn’t like it and stopped taking it. For years, I didn’t notice major mood swings. Definitely depressed/tired at times; an occasional business idea, a week or so of furious writing. This past year though, there were two big ideas, and if I tried to point out logical roadblocks such that the big ideas might not be realistic, he acted like I was completely turned against him. There were also a couple instances of depression having more of an impact on the marriage/family.
He finally agreed to see a Psych NP to talk about medication. In his evaluation, the NP said he wasn’t sure about the BP diagnosis because the depressive episodes don’t last more than a week.
Husband has significant childhood trauma. The NP thinks that husband is presenting with PTSD and anxiety.
Anyone else know someone with this experience of being misdiagnosed with BP when it was PTSD all along? I definitely knew PTSD was in the picture but assumed it was both that and BP.

I feel bad even calling this a “man rant”. I KNOW this is a “good problem” to have. Just genuinely curious how many people experience this. We’ve had sex 3x in the last week and he still hasn’t cum. I know it’s not “me”. It just doesn’t feel complete for me if we’re not both fully satisfied 😕