Public Speaking Fear, technically known as Glossophobia. . . is one of the greatest impediments to career & social mobility in the modern world...
Through the collective wisdom of our friends we are here to guide you through fact and through fiction, what works and what doesn't, all with the understanding that each individual is different and that there is no 'one size fits all' remedy. We encourage you to start your healing by first sharing your story with us describing your social speaking challenge. It's time to conquer your fear and to realize that you are not alone. Oratory skills are not born and speaking fear is normal. Most people who are scared to death of speaking generally tend to be the best public speakers! You just don't know it yet -- or maybe you do but you are too ashamed to take the credit for it.
Speaking phobia can be so debilitating- we understand that many are too afraid to go public or seek help. If you have found this website, then you are already on your way to getting better because you have resolved to find help. This is your first step.
We have assembled nearly 300 related books and audio downloads now available in our bookstore. We have a newly launched SpeakEasy Forum, a place where you can ask anything you want with anonymity. Then of course you can always take a Speech Pill...
Speech Anxiety is believed to be the single most common phobia affecting as much as 75% of the population, and as you have probably already heard, the fear is ranked higher than death! The word glossophobia comes from the Greek glōssa, meaning tongue, and phobos, fear or dread.
Speaking phobia rests in the unknown and can not be resolved unless you take on a deep understanding of its cause. Once you have a crisp understanding of why the symptoms occur, you can begin the process of taking control and reclaiming your life.
If you can learn to understand the elements of public speaking phobia, often also referred to as 'stage fright', you will quickly understand that the feeling of having an 'alien' inside your body is a sensation that many of us have once or many times experienced. With the right thinking and training, you will be able to re-channel your fear into a very energetic and exciting presentation.
Anyone who tells you they have little or no fear is either lying, or just loves to hear themselves talk. Without any anxiety at all about your upcoming presentation it's almost guaranteed you will give a dull performance, since those same chemicals racing through your body which are causing your heart pound and your palms to sweat will also heighten your awareness and make your thinking sharper, so long as you project the energy outwardly and not inwardly such that they cause the unnecessary reaction.
With the aggregate wisdom and experience of our readers, we seek to separate the good from the bad, the fact from the fiction. Our collective voices will give us courage, nurture, educate and heal, as well as bring together the best practices of the public speaking universe all to one place. Your participation on our forums and your comments on articles is the very key building our community and we encourage you to be an active participant.
If you think you are alone, just have a look at the keyword queries from those searching to find help to overcome their fear of public speaking.
Also, we are pleased to publish on here the great works of Ramki. His spiritual guide to public speaking will uplift you and give you strength. He has inspired many readers though his simple approach, making speech, simply an 'enlarged conversation'. Revisit Ramki's guide each time you need to increase your confidence and internal fortitude.
To share your experience, please use our reader submit form to (anonymously) let us know more about what you have experienced and what you hope to accomplish on the road to self healing.
-
2009-08-24 11:23:15 | Ruben
I've wondered if this phobia is hereditary. I have a family history of claustrophobia and that makes me think that phobias are run in the family.
-
2009-08-24 11:32:14 | Anonymous
@ Ruben, i don't think is hereditary because my brother has no fear of speaking in front of an audience or anyone, and my mother and father do not have this fear either. But who knows maybe at the end it is.
-
2009-09-02 11:54:16 | kellitaylor - Accountant
First I don't know why I get so stressed out about public speaking. I would like to do something to control the nervousness in my voice. My voice gets shakey and I sound as if I have a sore throat. I am in the military where we are always giving briefings, therefore I need some serious help. Thank you.
-
2009-09-18 22:43:23 | i will overcome it!
Well, I have been reading this posts and its great to know I am not alone. I have this extreme fear of public speaking and one time I was so embarased by a presentation I did coz i was too shaky
i even forgot the contents of my presentation! I believe in myself and I know I can somehow get thro it. I have done 2 great presentations that made me feel like I can actually be a gud publice speaker but many of them have been TERRIBLE!! Sometimes i just want to cry and give up. See, its important to me to be a gud public speaker coz my b/f is kinda an 'influential' figure and it just puts me in that position where i will have to do some speeches sooner or later...esp if we get married(I pray we do); I hv tried therapy but it just did not do much for me.. BTW i hv not told my b/f abt this and he has never noticed anything, i dread the day it will happen...but am working on it now so hhpfully it will never happen. I am in grad school so I am planning to give as many presentations as i can and also use toast masters and be a lil more active in church to the point where i can be comfortable...any tips?? I really need to be comfrotable with public speaking, i would do ANYTHING acceptable to achieve it. I know i will sometime, I just need help from you....please. Thanks 
-
2009-10-16 02:31:52 | Nicki
Hey there Everyone! It is really great the know I am not along in this matter.
I've always, since I was very young been scared of being infront of a group of people, but my fear mostly consists of classrooms. I've played sports and been through court battles and with that have had many eyes focused on me. I don't know what it is about a classroom, maybe just lacking the confidence in myself with speech, Not sure. Going through highschool, I seriously dont know how I got through it because I would just take and F on every oral presentation and Everytime i was asked to read I would tell the teacher I wasn't. I even began to skip my English classes and missed over 170 days of school. Thank god for me getting a diploma.....I still question how I did it till this day.Now I'm a few years older and I've decided to go to college because I am a single mother of two little boys, soon to be three. I don't want to struggle anymore and I definately want to be able to provide more and better my life for my children.
Where I have always found comfort in Art and design now I'm finding it completely unpleasureable. I hate it now because they want us to do presantations and not just 5 mintue ones....15 to 20 minutes. I haven't gone and done one yet but it's coming up. I need advice bad, from someone who has conquered this fear. I need to get through with this for my little men. I can't just tell a professor I'm not doing a presantation....although I'd love to, this isn't highschool anymore.
How do I make the hotflashes, the shakeyness, the stuttering, the feeling of needing to vomit, panick attacts GO AWAY?????? Please is anyone has any advide please help me[/color]
-
2009-10-23 03:24:17 | Laura - Awful!
I am not a shy person... actually, I am very social. But when it comes to speak in front of my class I get awfully nervous. My voice breaks, til the point that I can´t talk no more. My hands start to shake a lot...
This is a problem that I just found out about like a year ago, and it´s killing me Sometimes I avoid (succesfully) to speak, but other times I have no choice and I feel like I want to run away and cry... :_(
I feel a little bit better knowing that I´m not the only one that have this kind of fear, but I would love to completely overcome this problem of mine... nobody else in my class seems to have the same problem as I do and I feel like a freak! ...
-
2009-11-07 16:39:52 | Ramki - Public Speaking Fear!
"John"
Dear John
The positive symptom is that you have realized your short coming. This is
the first step in self improvement.1. Glad you work for a large company. I am sure this company will have divisions based on products or services. I don't think you have to address the whole company in your talk/presentations. I presume you are confined to a group of people linked to your specialization only.
2. During business hours you interact/speak with these people and also chat with them during tea/lunch break. So all of them know you and you also know them as your colleagues.
3. During a seminar/workshop/conference you are with these colleagues only. Hence no reason for you to have 'stranger anxiety'. I presume you have 'anxiety about yourself': your dress, way of talking, mannerisms and your physical appearance. Just ignore this anxiety as no one has time to think about others; as everyone is worried about himself/herself.
5. You can't do anything about your physical appearance as your body was given to you by your mother. You had no choice. Be proud of what you are. Without the body you are no body! Dress up well for the day. Improve your mannerisms by observing well mannered persons. Learn to talk slowly modulating your voice to emphasize/highlight important points. Improve your vocabulary by reading Time magazine, Readers' Digest and the 'editorial' in any news paper. Don't be self conscious. Build up your self confidence.
6. Preparation makes perfect: Spend two or three evenings all by yourself in studying, preparing and timing your talk/presentation. Go online to gather more information on the subject than what is required for the presentation/talk/discussion. Always try to be one up in your subject/specialization. Knowledge is power. Be prepared to answer any question from the participants. Sit/stand erect and make eye contacts with the participants while talking. No reason to be nervous/shy. Always convince yourself :"I am the best person in the whole world to handle this subject."
7. My Course Material will give you ample guidance. Please let me know if you need any further information.
With best wishes,
Ramki
English is my second language, i am currently in college seeking a degree in graphic design, almost in all my classes i have to present my work, so i have to get up and speak about it. Every time i get up to speak i get the stressful butterflies and anxiety , the first reason why i get like this is because i am scared to death to speak in front of people, but i have learned to control that (sort of), but now to add to that fear my accent (which is not as bad as other public speakers i heard before) keeps popping in my head while i talk, so i feel like the audience is going to talk about it or laugh at me, so i tend to speak rapidly and i begin to sweat and shake, so if any one have had this experience before and can give me a few tips and advices i would gladly appreciated it.. thanks for reading... writing this its actully making me feel better!