The Fear of Public Speaking

You are grasping at the sidebars of the dais. You are on stage. The microphone is already on. All eyes on you. So there are two things you can do: fight or flight. Which one would you pick?

Glossophobia, or commonly referred to as "the fear of public speaking", is the number one fear in the US and probably all around the world. Left untreated it can easily graduate to the next level of becoming a full-blown psychological disorder, called social anxiety disorder (SAD).You don't even have to be on a stage for the fright to kick in, reading out loud from your textbook as a kid in front of your class can be just as crippling as delivering a presentation at your workplace for the board of your supervisors. Glossophobia does not differentiate among targets of age, class or condition which makes it more unpredictable concerning the fact that we don't even know exactly what causes it. But what we do know is there is a slew of techniques developed by professionals that help overcome it.

Symptoms and alerting omens

You sure as hell have a problem if any of these symptoms sound familiar while talking to more than three or four people: sweaty palms, increasing heart rate, dry mouth, stiff neck and upper back muscles, a tense and weak voice that stumbles upon each of your words uttered out loud signal the hallmark of glossophobia. But let's not skip ahead: there are even earlier signs that can alert you might be having a future problem. Take a good, hard look on your daily interactions! Is meeting new people causes you to become nervous or edgy? Are you tense just after you dialed a new acquaintance's phone number waiting for him or her to pick up? Do you intentionally avoid situations where you would have to speak, perform or communicate publicly? If any of these situations feels dauntingly plausible then it is time to prevent any further manifestations of the problem.

How to overcome it?

While glossophobia is more than widespread of a phenomenon all around the world, it is certainly a fear that can be tackled and overcome. Nerves are natural even for the best public speakers. It is always about the way you utilize this built-up energy that will actually make the difference. You can capture it to propel you through the speech or you can succumb to it and ventilate yourself into the spiraling effect of fear and agitation that will eventually ruin the message you strive to convey. The choice is up to you. There are a number of possible ways to address this fear. You can turn to drugs and different types of medication, such as herbal or homeopathic remedies. These are measures that capture the problem from an external point. On the other hand, you can always choose the slower, more challenging way to address this inner fear: face the problem and work internally. You can always combine these approaches, the more the better, but never forget about that simple truth that your mind is your most powerful weapon. There is a wide range of variety on how to overcome glossophobia: motivational videos, self-help guidance through books or audio recording, pick and choose what suits you the best or seek the help of professionals: the worldwide non-profit organization of Toastmasters specializes in breeding and aiding the best public speakers of the world. With seminars, in-person consultations and materials available online they seek to address the phenomenon of glossophobia and help everyone to overcome the fear that would otherwise cripple your future possibilities and disrupt your level of self-esteem at the same time.

Who wouldn't want to be more successful? Who wouldn't strive for an elevated state of mind or wouldn't benefit from a higher level of confidence or self-esteem? Glossophobia is a valid, existing psychological condition, though the solution has no magic to it but it is indeed hard work no matter which direction you turn to.