FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
GLOSSOPHOBIA (FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING)
Are you filled with fear and anxiety by speaking in public? Try these tips to overcome your fear of public-speaking. Glossophobia, or public-speaking fear, is a very prevalent phobia that is thought to impact up to 75% of the population. Some people may feel a little nervous about the very idea of talking in public, While others are experiencing panic and fear. They may at all costs attempt to prevent cases of public speaking, or if they have to talk in public, they will endure shaking hands and a weak, quavering voice. How can a public speaking fear be overcome? With persistence and preparation, it’s entirely possible to beat glossophobia.
According to Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, FAACAP, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Cincinnati, “Fear of public speaking is more common in younger patients than in elderly patients and may be more prevalent in women than men.” “We understand that some people tend to be more anxious about certain conditions where there may be a fear of assessment and embarrassment.”
In people with social anxiety disorder, fear of public speaking is often present, Dr. Strawn suggests, and these social anxiety disorders may affect 5 to 9 percent of Americans. “However, it is essential to point out that not all public-speaking people have a social anxiety disorder or other psychiatric illness,” he describes. “Clear functional impairment is usually needed for the diagnosis of a psychiatric illness.”
Glossophobia symptoms
Glossophobia causes a range of symptoms such as:
Increased blood pressure • Increased suddenness • Dry mouth • Stiffness of the upper back muscles • Nausea and panic when confronted with talking in public • Intense anxiety when thinking about talking in front of a group.
Causes of Glossophobia
Often beginning in infancy or early adulthood, most phobias appear out of the blue. Because of a mixture of genetic trends and other economic, biological and psychological variables, a phobia may occur. People who fear public speaking may have a real fear of being embarrassed or rejected.
Glossophobia may be associated with one’s previous experiences, says Dr. Strawn. “A person who has a poor experience in public speaking may be afraid when trying to talk again to repeat that previous experience,” he acknowledges.
Or if a individual is told to talk to a group on the spot with no possibility of preparing for advance, and it’s not going well, they might start to fear public speaking.
Glossophobia treatment options is treatable, and medications and exercises based on exposure are generally the most helpful, suggests Dr. Strawn.
A person is taught coping abilities in exposure therapy and learns to manage the scenario that causes fear over time. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is useful because it helps an individual to effectively manage her symptoms.
People with glossophobia may also benefit from methods for managing anxiety and relaxation, and it may be suggested to combine several treatments.
“Medications can be useful in people with a social anxiety disorder accompanied by a public-speaking fear, particularly when coupled with psychotherapy,” states Dr. Strawn.
Steps for action Be ready. If you want to overcome your public speaking fear, organize yourself in advance. Try to visit the place where you are going to give your talk and check all the facilities closely in advance. And learn well in advance everything you can about your subject. This makes it less likely that you will say something incorrect or go off track. If you stray slightly, you will rapidly improve your chances of recovery by understanding your subject well.
Practice makes things perfect. Don’t just “offer” a volunteer crowd your full presentation once. Do it with friends, family members, or anyone else with whom you feel comfortable. Ask for feedback and thoroughly review the remarks of everyone. You might even want to create a video of your speech so that you can see it and create any changes you believe will improve it.
Pay attention not to your audience, but to the material at hand. Generally speaking, an audience focuses on the fresh data they listen to instead of how it is presented. Chances are they’re not even going to notice your anxiety.
Don’t be scared of the silence sounds. You may feel anxious and feel silent forever when you temporarily lose track of what you’re saying. But it’s likely no longer than a couple of seconds, so just take a few slow, profound breaths and go on. Remember, even if the moment of silence was longer than a moment, that’s all right, too. Probably your audience thought the pause was scheduled and they’re not going to mind a little.