Listen to “Carol”

An ovarian cancer survivor who once said that she would rather be back in chemotherapy than speak in front of a group, as she describes her success in managing public speaking anxiety and involuntary blushing

Listen to “Tom”

Tom a senior executive of a billion-dollar company, who describes how anxiety management changed his life and enabled him to conquer his fear of public speaking.

The Physiology of Performance

  The Physiology of Performance:  A Critical Dynamic for Social Anxiety Control Most people’s adrenaline flow increases before a “performance”—which can be anything from a conversation to a full-scale speech in front of an audience of hundreds, thousands, or more. How a person handles that adrenaline is the only difference between feeling anxiety and “going with […]

Addicted to avoidance

“Just the Way I Am”: Denial Is the Enemy of Social Anxiety Sufferers                               Confessions of an “Avoidance Addict” By Amy Lemley No one would ever call me shy. In fact, I am “the extrovert’s extrovert,” an attention-seeker, a ham. I love public speaking, being interviewed on television and radio, and having my picture taken. […]

Socialization and The Learning Disabled

A Dynamic Profile of The Friendship Connection Bob, age 24, worked for the county parks department in a full time job. His learning disabilities impacted his overall maturation process to the point that his social skills were challenged and he had no quality peer relationships. Susan, age 32, had a civil service job but was […]

When Fear of Public Speaking is an Anxiety Disorder

While patient E was approaching a 7 figure salary at age 42 as a financial portfolio manager, he avoided any scenario which required a monologue in front of a group. He had a very active relationship with alcohol as his primary means of “repressing” his social and performance anxiety. Patient P was the head accountant […]

Adrenaline or Character Disorder

One of my patients was a 42 year old successful software salesman in Washington D.C. He made a substantial six figure salary. He experienced public speaking anxiety. The first component of his treatment included education regarding the “physiology of performance”, which in essence, is an individual’s flow of adrenaline in a challenging or stressful situation. […]