Glossophobia.
Glossophobia may be defined as a very specific form of stage fright or speech anxiety which is the fear of speaking in public.
Most confident people have experienced some degree of nervousness or anxiety when they have to give a speech, presentation, or perform on stage. They still manage to cope with the occasion even though they are not enjoying it. However, people who suffer from glossophobia (glossophobics) may deliberately avoid situations where they would have to speak in public.
This can happen to anyone. For example when an employee has to make a presentation to the rest of his department and becomes completely frozen. Maybe it would happen at a social gathering where the thought of meeting new people causes you to become nervous and edgy. As a result, glossophobia may hamper the sufferer’s ability to further his or her academic, social or career opportunities.
If left untreated, it can lead to loneliness, poor self-esteem, depression and isolation.
Fortunately, there are helpful strategies to manage and cope effectively with glossophobia.
Symptoms and signs
The common symptoms and signs of glossophobia include extreme anxiety before an event or at the idea of speaking in front of a group of people. Physical symptoms also often appear as well which stem from the body’s stress-response to our flight-or-fight reaction.
These symptoms may include:
• Sweating
• Increased heart rate
• Feelings of nervousness or panic attack
• Dry mouth
• Tense, weak or quivering voice
• Stiff neck or upper back muscles
In severe cases, some people may even experience nausea or vomiting from the stress and anxiety.
The exact cause of glossophobia is not known, although a number of factors can contribute to this disorder. Traumatic events that may have affected you as a child or during adulthood may contribute towards it and cause you to avoid speaking in public.
It may also occur when you have been slowly avoiding having to speak publicly over a period of time and the idea of it causes you so much anxiety that it has now resulted into glossophobia.
Certain psychological conditions such as; when a speaker suffers from poor self-esteem, always wants complete approval, believes that everything must be perfect, or expects failure can also bring about episodes of glossophobia.
Various treatment options are available to treat glossophobia. Certain drugs such as beta blockers may be used to help people relax before speaking in public.
Complementary therapies such as hypnosis, meditation or psychotherapy can be very beneficial in helping you to overcome glossophobia. Counseling or psychotherapy may also help you to address the root of the problem and learn effective techniques to deal with this condition.
Also, natural treatments such as herbal and homeopathic remedies have proven to be effective in relieving fear, anxiety and nervousness associated with public speaking events.
