Fear of Public Speaking Phobia

Fear of public speaking – as in the social phobia of speaking in front of a group – has nothing to do with lack of preparation or knowledge. The fear, a form of performance anxiety, is the manifestation of other deep-rooted, psychotherapeutic issues triggered by the stimulus of being the focus of attention – of being “exposed” in some way or another – before a forum of people.

For some, social anxiety around public speaking builds up long before the actual event; simply anticipating the event can cause weeks of destructive, obsessive worrying. These sufferers tend to avoid public speaking engagements at all costs – which can be rather tricky when speaking in front of a group is a function or even requirement of your profession. Symptoms may include stomach pains, insomnia, and inability to focus. For others, the anxiety surfaces at the instance when the sufferer first faces a forum, which may comprise a massive audience or a small group of 20: a case of adrenaline gone haywire. Blushing – with or without severe sweating – may ensue, accompanied by palpitations, and an inability to speak at all.

To treat anxiety and fear of public speaking, you need to resolve the issues underlying the anxiety.

Fear of Public Speaking Resolved: Hear the Stories

Hear real interviews with real people who have resolved their public speaking and performance anxieties.

Rob: “I worried obsessively when I knew I would have to speak publicly. I would think about the anxiety that filled me the last time I was in a meeting. It was terrible. The anxiety would snowball…
Anxiety is disabling. Everything is labored. You’re almost paralyzed. My thoughts were tangled. I was operating at 30% of normal capacity – mentally and physically.” Listen to Rob, who has successfully overcome fear of public speaking.

Mike: “I was having a real problem speaking in professional settings at work. It got to the point that I was not doing the things I was supposed to be doing. I was avoiding getting in front of clients – which was my job.
The most bothering symptom was that my voice would quiver and shake – it would be really obvious that I was nervous and made me feel nervous and bad about myself.
I was really pretty miserable. There was always a gray cloud over my head, with day-to-day worrying.” Hear more from Mike, who has successfully overcome fear of public speaking.

Carol: “My extreme fear of public speaking was holding me back from doing things I wanted to do in life. I felt like a prisoner.  I would rather have been back in chemo for cancer than speak in front of people.” Listen to Carol, who has successfully overcome fear of public speaking.

Robert: “My hands would tremble. My voice would shake dramatically. The anxiety from fear of speaking publicly would spiral out of control and take over. And there was re-occurring discouragement and depression about not being able to conquer this.” Hear this Robert – who has successfully overcome fear of public speaking – speak on the cycle of the anxiety.

Tom: “It’s imperative that you get with somebody who can get to the root of your problem. More than likely, if you have a fear of public speaking, it’s not that you’re not prepared. It’s deep rooted.” Listen to Tom describe his fear of public speaking, and how he has overcome his phobia.