Why Does Public Speaking Create Fear?

I was a very shy and quiet kid compared to others growing up. Submerged among my peers and lost in the crowd, I felt more at ease and found myself mostly at home where the attention drifted far away from me. However, when teachers asked me to speak before the class or answer questions, uneasiness flooded me as though I stood before hundreds of strangers. While speaking, my different bonds of friendship to each and every person sitting in the room disappeared as apprehension controlled me and my voice shook with fright. This fear of public speaking came from my experiences during the first few years elementary school. When I attended Mission Park Elementary School, in 5th grade unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy reading. After a few months in class

Some instances of these fear are: missing important points, inability to answer the questions, lack of communication and being rejected by the group based on the background. In order to overcome these fears presenter needs to speak with confidence which can be gained through practicing and rehearsing before the presentation as the audience can easily spot the signs of a presenter without confidence. In addition, presenter needs to be in control of his mind by rehearsing before the presentation. Maintaining a strong eye contact is also very important. This can be achieved by not looking at someone for too long but also not shifting eye contact or scanning the audience very quickly. Wearing clean and comfortable clothes can contribute to self-confidence and projecting a good image. A presenter must be careful not to reveal their shortcomings by addressing their weaknesses and stating their nervousness about speaking in

Public speaking is a fear faced by over 75% of the Earth’s population. In fact, 5.3 million of Americans today face social phobia and speech anxiety. Commonly referred to as “glossophobia”, speech anxiety is fear people face when delivering speeches and/or lectures to large audiences. The article, “Conquer Fear of Public Speaking through Emotional Intelligence”, written by Gleb Tsipursky, provides people with expert advice on how to conquer their speech anxiety. As someone who presents ideas and projects on a daily basis, I have started to conquer my speech anxiety. When I first moved to Hillsborough in 2013, I was petrified when delivering my student council speech. No one knew me, and I only had a scant amount of friends. I patently remember being extremely

As we all took our seats on the stage, I knew it was time to make the opening statement of the night. The moment was surreal as my legs trembled with each step I took, trying not to give off an intimidated vibe. As I made my way to the mahogany podium, the world paused as I felt two hundred and twenty eyes on my person anxiously waiting for me to speak. My mind went blank, as my hands quivered like an incoming earthquake. The taste of utter dryness filled my mouth as I began to speak. As I uttered “Good evening …” I realized I was conquering my fear of public speaking. My voice became more animated as I continued to speak. I felt more alive than I have ever been, knowing I conquered one of my greatest fears at that

Some people can feel comfortable speaking or performing in front of large groups of people, but feel anxious making small talk or meeting new people. Other people are comfortable spending time with friends and family, and interact with their co-workers, but they fear performance situations, such as participating in business meetings or giving speeches. Some people fear only a single situation (such as public speaking), while others fear and avoid every social situations.

Their faces get red, hands begin to sweat, heart beat speeds up, and they might possibly forget what they are supposed to say (Briggs & Smith, pp. 47-60). Some people may not be able to handle all of the pressure and may begin to have a panic attack or mental breakdown of some sort. Those who literally cannot do it more than likely have social anxiety disorder. It might not be as severe as having a social anxiety disorder; the person might be just shy. Shy people can push through their nerves and publically speak; it is much easier for them to get around their barriers. Everyone dismisses the affects public speaking has on a person as being shy; however, it could be much more than that. Social anxiety is a very real disorder. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is the third most common psychiatric disorder. It is common for people to not know the difference between social anxiety and just plan shyness. We are often misinformed of the severity of social anxiety and what it is capable of doing to a

These individuals have fears of being embarrassed by others, which triggers the onset of social situations. Social phobias effects people every day lives because they are anxious to speak in front of people; this includes public speaking. Resulting from emotional anxiety and fear and physical symptoms more panic attacks, and shortness of breathe. Symptoms; of social phobia stated earlier develops in childhood, lasting up to 6 months or longer.

Performance Anxiety, also referred as a fear of public speaking is one of the most common phobias. People who fears and other interests that require them to take the “stage”, such as actors, athletes, etc. will experience stage freight as an impairment of their own particular activity.

People have fears: spiders, snakes, tight spaces and more. My fear is public speaking. It is so hard for me to go up on stage and talk to all those people out on the audience. I feel like I have butterflies in my stomach, and I can't think straight.

People with anxiety disorders or (social phobia) are extremely anxious about what they will say or do in front of other people. This includes public speaking and day-to-day social situations, but it is more than just being shy or nervous before public speaking. The fear can begin weeks or months before an event. It can cause a fast heartbeat and make it hard to focus. To continue, anxiety disorders occur along with mental or physical illness. Each anxiety disorder has many different symptoms, but all symptoms cluster around excessive, irrational fear, and dread. To go along with, anxiety disorders are treatable. If you think you have a disorder, talk to your doctor, if your anxiety is diagnosed the pattern of co-occurring

Throughout my 17 years of living i have learned to speak in front of large crowds of people without worrying about messing up or embarrassing myself. As a younger child i would often avoid public speaking at all costs in order to not get those anxious feelings i often felt. As little as a few years ago i often missed extra credit opportunities in order to not

It is more frequent to have a genuine fear of standing and talking in front of a large group of fellow classmates than any other fear or phobia. When in realistic terms, it is more likely one will have to speak in front of students in a classroom than to be attacked by a shark on a Tuesday. Recently, schools have abandoned mandating speech classes, even though it would be easier to fund a speech class than a shark wrestling class. Public speaking does in fact create cases with reference to high anxiety and stress with percentages spanning from seventy-five percent in 2008 to eighty percent in 2015 for young people beginning at the age of fifteen. For adults, however, between the ages of 18 and 54 there is a 61.9 percent difference. Though most

I think they lose their fear of speaking because they become more comfortable with being seen publically. I also think that after the first impression, things get more comfortable for them. They can get more involved with the audience, and start to focus on the speech instead of having to think about the fact that they are about to speak in front of many people. Once they are on a role with speaking, they will start to relax and interact with the audience and realize the audience wants to be there and to listen to what the speaker has to offer.

After completing the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety(PSA) and the Communication Apprehension Quiz(CAQ), the results of my scores were both in the moderate level of anxiety range. However, when comparing the two separate assessments of speaking anxiety, it is apparent that the PSA assessment focused its questions on delivering only speeches, whereas the CAQ focused on several different conditions in which one may be communicating. The CAQ writers placed emphasis on simple group discussions, talking at meetings, and delivering speeches.

Different responses to standing in front of an audience arise depending on the reason I am up there. For instance, when I am giving a speech I have much more trouble than when I am acting. Speeches often give me anxiety. I start to shake and get jittery and sweaty. Sometimes I bite my lip, shake my leg, or pace. In other words, I have a response similar to what most people call stage fright. It becomes hard to stand still. I constantly worry about what people think. The classic visions/nightmares of being naked in front of an audience occur. I freak. One thing that has been pointed out to me numerous times is that when I give a speech, I sound like I am holding back tears - my voice goes all high pitched and shaky.