Speech Anxiety:
When Speakers Become Speechless
Speech anxiety came as a complete shock to Jim, a well-known professor who had carefully prepared for his presentation
to the faculty and staff.
When he stood at the podium to begin his speech he was overcome with fear and found himself unable to utter a sound or remember anything he had prepared.
"All of a sudden speech anxiety set in and I began sweating profusely, my heart started racing and I couldn't catch my breath. I was embarrassed and I was also worried that I might be having a heart attack or stroke right there in front of the audience."
Speech anxiety (the fear of public speaking) is one of the most common anxiety disorders. Many people are nervous or even terrified about speaking in public, even if they have a well-researched and well-written speech.
For people with speech anxiety, it doesn't matter if the audience is large or small. The level of fear is the same.
Dr. Jennette Kavanagh has helped thousands of people learn to cope with speech anxiety. She discovered the prevalence of speech anxiety when she taught seminars about public speaking skills.
"From the very first public speaking skills seminar, I realized that many participants were terrified. Knowing that I was dealing with a more complex level of the nervousness of speech-giving, I sought input from a number of psychologists.
She worked with the psychologists to develop strategies that help overcome speech anxiety. These strategies are outlined in her immensely helpful book, "Calming Words,"
Confident speakers see the physical symptoms of speech anxiety as a positive sign that indicates that they are emotionally ready for the speech. People with speech anxiety translate those same symptoms into feelings of extreme fear.
Irrational fears combined with physiological symptoms often feed on each other. The fears increase the symptoms, which in turn increase the fears until extreme physiological arousal combines with thoughts of catastrophe.
Conquering speech anxiety is not easy but it can be done.
If you suffer from speech anxiety, seek help and you may be surprised at the way you transform your fear into outstanding performance.