Fear of public speaking. Peiraphobia

Fear of public speaking, or how to overcome stage fright?

It started… I take a deep breath and go out to the audience. The heart is beating fast. Her palms became completely wet with excitement. I seem to have forgotten all the words. The fear of public speaking binds me. I can't help it, it's obvious that I'm afraid to speak in front of an audience.

Faces that were once pleasant to me turn into picky and unfriendly people who are ready to flunk me on any issue, ridicule or find fault with words. Everyone is just waiting for me to fail so they can jump on me. I'm tired of this fear of speaking in front of an audience. There are still many presentations and meetings with complete strangers ahead. How to deal with all this? How to overcome the fear of speaking?

This problem has haunted me since childhood. I was a quiet and calm child. I sat at the back desk and tried to stick out as little as possible. It was very nice to see other guys. How easy it is for them to do it: play in productions, get fives for a small retelling of the text. I really wanted the same. But the fear of performing was stronger than me. One question was running through my head: Why can they and I can't? How to overcome stage fright?

How to overcome the fear of speaking?

It turns out that overcoming the fear of public speaking is quite a feasible task. To do this, you do not need to rehearse every night in front of a mirror or repeat like a mantra: “I will succeed!” The system-vector psychology of Yuri Burlan helps to reveal the roots of this fear, the reasons for its occurrence. And awareness of your desires and characteristics will help you get rid of any fear, including the fear of speaking in front of an audience.

You have probably seen people who very emotional by it's nature. Then they walk sad and sad, and after a while they take everything off as if by hand: they are again smiling and enjoying life. The smallest incident can change their state to a diametrically opposite one. it people from visual vector .

If they were brought up incorrectly in childhood (for example, they read scary tales or were intimidated), then they continue to experience fear in adulthood. Fear is a strong emotion the opposite of love. When we're scared we are afraid for ourselves, we try not to stick out. And the fear of publicity is when you are afraid to show yourself, demonstrate your talents and skills. But how to overcome stage fright, how to get rid of the fear of public speaking if you cannot control your emotions?

In order for an adult not to experience various fears, he needs to from childhood to teach to bring their emotions out. That is, to be afraid not for oneself, but for others, to sympathize, to love. But even if your upbringing was wrong, all is not lost. There are many fears, but they have one root. Knowing this root learn how to properly direct your emotional potential, and therefore, begin to enjoy life much more. Do not be afraid, but love!

How to overcome the fear of public speaking? How not to be embarrassed?

There are still people who are unhurried, calm, for whom it is important to bring everything to the end. And not just to the end, but to do everything in perfect form. it people with anal vector. One of their biggest fears is fear of embarrassment. By their nature, they are mentally not flexible can't quickly switch to a new topic, indecisive. And during a public performance, anything can happen on stage. You may be asked a difficult question to which you do not know the answer. And now you've been disgraced did something imperfectly, wrongly.

Such people have beautiful memory, which they, in this case, are used for other purposes, remembering a bad experience for a long time. One day a public performance did not work out, and a person is no longer able to take a step, go on stage and overcome his fear of public speaking.

How to overcome audience fear when Does a bad experience prevent you from going on stage? Again, deep awareness of their properties. By the way, a detailed analysis of the properties of the anal vector begins already at the introductory free introductory lectures, in which a whole four-hour lesson is devoted to it.

At the training in system-vector psychology, you will be able to find answers to your questions. It will become clear how to overcome the fear of public speaking and in general any fears because most of them have the same root. Reviews of those who managed to get rid of fears,.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking. From the feedback of the trainees of the training on system-vector psychology

“I’ll start with the fact that the fears that really interfered with life gradually began to go away! Many thanks to Yuri for this invaluable knowledge! In particular, the fear of public speaking has decreased, I started to feel more free on the stage» (Anastasia Badalova)

“From the latest results: the fear of other people is gone. Previously, I was very afraid, it seemed that people are animals, they would immediately devour their neighbor. At the training, I realized the root of this fear ... and it went away on its own. I noticed that I’m not afraid to look out the windows - I used to be afraid that they would notice me from the street - now it’s just not there. She's in shock! I wanted to be brighter, more noticeable - this improved my mood. I used to try to be quiet and inconspicuous, especially with women, portraying a good little girl in front of them, thinking that if I don’t do anything wrong, then they won’t do anything to me either. In a lesson on the visual vector, Yuri explained this inner impulse, and he left.(Irina Litvinova).

How to overcome fear of public speaking? Join the fearless!

So, having realized where fear grows from, you won’t notice that the questions “How to overcome the fear of public speaking?”, “How to get rid of stage fright?”, “How to overcome fear of the audience?” disappear from your life. Do you want to throw away your old life with all the fears? Maybe already it's time to stop postponing joy and happiness for tomorrow in the hope that someone will help you? You and only you are responsible for your life. And no one but yourself can make it the way you want it. Join those who have already got rid of fears! They have already made their choice. Do it and you.

Register for a free training in system-vector psychology: http://www.yburlan.ru/training/

The article was written using the materials of the training on system-vector psychology by Yuri Burlan.

Fear of public speaking and its causes. The article will discuss how to get rid of voiced mental discomfort, which can harm the career growth of any person.

The content of the article:

Fear of public speaking is a feeling that some skeptics may find unfounded. However, practice shows that it is precisely this that prevents many people from revealing themselves to the intended audience in all the glory of their oratorical talents. It is necessary to understand the reasons for the voiced fear and methods of dealing with such a scourge.

Reasons for the development of fear of public speaking

Very often it is necessary to convey your thoughts to a large number of people, because it is important for the career and development of every self-sufficient person. However, some individuals experience a fear of public speaking, the nature of the formation of which they cannot even explain to themselves.

Psychologists indicate the following reasons for the described phenomenon in a person who panicked before oratory:

• Childhood fears. The fear of speaking in front of an audience is a likely manifestation of a kind of embarrassment that happened a long time ago. The reason for the described may be an unsuccessfully read poem at a matinee, the performance of which caused the laughter of peers or adults.
• parenting costs. Each parent lays something personal in their child, adjusting the behavior model of their beloved child in their own way. Sometimes dad or mom inspire a baby or teenager that in no case should you flaunt yourself. In the future, this develops into an obsession, which becomes one of the reasons for the fear of public speaking.
• Fear of audience criticism. Self-love is a feeling that every person should have. However, sometimes this trait turns into a painful state of mind. The result - the fear of public speaking because of the fear of being criticized.
• Problems with diction. Not every person can boast of perfect pronunciation and a virtuoso manner of presenting information to listeners. Some people are absolutely calm about this fact, but there are people who are afraid of public speaking for the very reason that was voiced.
• Excessive shyness. As they say, not all satellites launch, therefore notorious or overly emotionally vulnerable people in modern society there is a sufficient number. The very idea of ​​having to give a speech in front of a large audience horrifies such individuals.
• Complexes about their own appearance. Very often, such a phenomenon is a common exaggeration on the part of an insecure person. It seems to such people that everyone will laugh as soon as they see them on the podium or stage, even with a carefully prepared report.
• neurotic diseases. It is difficult for a person who suffers from such an ailment to control his emotions in front of important event. Therefore, it is not necessary to be surprised at the panic at the most inopportune moment in such nervous personalities.

Important! Psychologists believe that all the reasons voiced must be urgently eradicated. Such fears prevent people from making a successful career and achieving significant results in life.

Signs of an alarmist before public speaking

It is very easy to determine such a contingent of speakers by fairly obvious outward signs. Their condition can be described as follows:

1. too much fun. This behavior is appropriate when preparing for the performance of clowns or masters of the comic genre. Before a serious report, it is necessary to gather as much as possible, and nervous laughter only shows the alarmist's fear of the upcoming public appearance.
2. Feverish behavior. In this state, the speaker constantly loses the material of the report and literally everything falls out of his hands. Everyone can worry before a public speaking, but you should not turn small experiences into a real tantrum.
3. Nervous gestures. This behavior is similar to the febrile excitement described above. However, it is the peak of panic before public speaking, when a person begins to frantically gesticulate.
4. Facial redness or pallor. To paint yourself in the face of a shy marriageable girl, and not a professional who is seriously interested in advancing his career. It is this sign that indicates that a person panics before a public speech, his blood pressure rises on a nervous basis. Excessive pallor of the skin may also indicate that the future speaker is afraid of the upcoming speech.

All of the above signs of fear of reaching a large audience can overtake both a weak-willed person and a self-confident careerist. It should simply be distinguished when the state that has arisen is a natural reaction before a responsible event, and where the real panic begins with the speaker.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking is not a whim, but a wise decision for self-sufficient individuals who want to achieve a lot in life. Here it is important not only to realize the problem, but also to begin to actively deal with it.

Ways to deal with the fear of public speaking

It is realistic to deal with this mental discomfort in many ways. You can help yourself on your own, but if this is unattainable, you should turn to specialists.

Getting rid of the fear of public speaking on your own

A person is the creator of his own destiny, so you should not blame someone for the pursuing failures. In this case, you can try the following means of dealing with the fear of public speaking:

• Autotraining. It is not difficult to do this, because few people do not love themselves. This is considered normal, if it does not develop into inveterate selfishness. Therefore, you need to convince yourself that even experienced speakers make mistakes. It's no secret that in live you can hear a lot of so-called blunders from public speaking gurus. There are no perfect people in the world, and this should be learned for yourself in order to get rid of the fear of presentations in front of an audience.
• Meditation. At the same time, some skeptics will say that not every person owns such a technique. However, there is nothing complicated in the proposed method of dealing with the fear of public speaking. Initially, you should relax as much as possible and take a deep breath in the air. Then you need to exhale, stretching each movement for five seconds. It is recommended to do the described before communicating with the audience for 5-6 minutes. So you can achieve the greatest effect from the manipulations.
• Clear knowledge of the subject matter. In this case, there is simply no time for panic, so it is better to devote it to familiarizing yourself with the material of the report. It is difficult to discourage a person who knows what he is talking about with an unexpected question or a sidelong glance. The topic must also be chosen the one that is to their liking, so that the audience can see the speaker's enthusiasm for the proposed material.
• Creating an image. A well-groomed person will never think about the question of how to overcome the fear of public speaking. He simply does not have it due to self-confidence. Before oratory, you need to put your appearance in order so that the speaker pleases not only the ears of the audience, but is also pleasing to the visual perception.
• self-discipline. Bad habits should be left far outside the doors of the conference room where the scheduled performance is to be. Alcohol or tranquilizers are out of the question when it comes to an important report. In this case, such relaxation will end in failure and possible serious problems in the speaker's career. Heavy meals before a performance should also be avoided because overcooking them can cause drowsiness.
• Avoidance of stressful situations. On the eve of the report, you need to take a break from everyday worries and get enough sleep. Circles under the eyes and slurred speech of the speaker will not make a successful speech unequivocally. If there is a problem of insomnia, then you should not take sleeping pills, but rather drink a glass of warm milk with honey in small sips.
• Activation positive emotions . A person who is at odds with himself will easily overcome the fear of speaking in public. The positive he experiences will not go unnoticed by a wide audience and will allow him to establish maximum contact with the public.
• Consultation with a psychologist. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in this case, because the fear of public speaking may be the result of a mental trauma received in childhood. The specialist will help to establish contact with oneself and give recommendations on how to eliminate the interfering factor in a person’s career growth.

Speakers Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

In this case, the advice of experienced speakers becomes an invaluable experience for beginners. Professionals in the verbal art recommend the following ways to get rid of the fear of public speaking:

1. Rehearsal before the report. You can’t do without this so that during the performance you don’t get a lot of unpleasant surprises. You should carefully go through all the stages of the upcoming presentation to the general public. You can also give a speech to your family the day before. This will allow you to correctly place accents, train diction, think over the details of the speech, and evaluate the speed of information delivery.
2. Breath Correction. This aspect is very important in the report, so you should pay special attention to it. A speaker's voice that is creaky or hoarse with excitement will not impress an audience that has come to receive information that is valuable to them. On the eve of the presentation, it is necessary to constantly take deep breaths so that the lungs are fully saturated with oxygen.
3. Focus on a friendly audience. Any speaker can, by the reaction of the listeners, determine the visitors favorably disposed towards him. It is on such a contingent that it is necessary to pay the most attention, focusing on it during the report.
4. Presentation of the future result. Experts recommend thinking only about the positive aspects of the upcoming performance. The listeners did not come with the express purpose of throwing tomatoes at the speaker, as some alarmist speakers seem to think. People attend such events in order to obtain the necessary information for themselves, and not with malicious intent.
5. Smile and positivity towards listeners. A gloomy and solemn face in this case is unlikely to win over the audience, but rather cause bewilderment and even negativity in it. The main thing at the same time is not to overdo it with emotions, because a smile out of place will look extremely ridiculous.
6. Maximum contact with listeners. No one suggests walking around the hall during the report, but sometimes it is not forbidden to go to the edge of the stage. In this case, you can directly answer the questions of those who wish, without fencing them off with the same podium. This psychological technique will allow you to establish contact with the audience, showing the openness and sincerity of the speaker.
7. The originality of the presentation of the material. However, it is worthwhile to clearly understand for yourself that everything is good in moderation. A good joke to the point or an unusual quote will only brighten up the performance, but humor when providing statistics is unlikely to be understood and accepted by the audience.
8. boomerang method. During a speech, such an incident can happen when the speaker does not know the answer to the question posed. You should not panic at the same time, because such behavior will look like the incompetence of the speaker. The way out of an unpleasant situation will be to forward the question to the audience or colleagues present at the conference. This is done in order to start a discussion and turn the report into an entertaining debate.
9. Confidence in dealing with the public. The phrase in the form that a person is very worried about the upcoming speech will show the seriousness of the speaker's attitude to the upcoming report. Most people are by nature condescending, so they will sympathize with a slight panic in the speaker and internally cheer him up.

How to get rid of the fear of public speaking - look at the video:

For any speaker, it is necessary to clearly understand how to overcome the fear of public speaking. Initially assuming failure means one hundred percent getting the expected negative result. It is necessary to set yourself up for one hundred percent success, gradually gaining experience with constant training in oratory.

It would seem that there are more significant fears that justify their existence, for example, the fear of wild animals, or the fear of getting cancer. But it turns out that all this pales against the background of such a psychological disease as peyraphobia. A person suffering from this phobic fear is most afraid of speaking publicly from the podium, stage, and so on. Many scientists believe that this fear is the most profound of all that has ever possessed mankind.

It has been proven that even those people whose professional activity associated with public speaking, and they are constantly in public - they also get nervous when they are in front of an audience. Moreover, this applies to everyone, both a politician, or a teacher, and an artist. Fear is provoked by the fact that the attention of absolutely all those present is focused on a person, and these people listen to what he says. But, as it turned out, only those actions that are not performed often enough cause fear, which is why there is significant discomfort, and the desire to immediately leave the stage, hide behind the scenes.

To get used to the feeling of public speaking, experts recommend being in large companies as often as possible, communicating with people more often. If a person suffering from peyraphobia spends more time in plain sight, then most likely he will be able to overcome his fear, if the disease has not yet gone too far. Another way to correct this painful condition is to use the help of a person who has extensive experience in communicating with the public. A good example is always very effective, and advice will be useful.

It has been established that the cause of the fear of public speaking may be social components and genetic predisposition. Scientists have long proved that a person's propensity for a number of phobias is due to hereditary characteristics, taking into account individual psychological characteristics. Even in ancient times, society was perceived as synonymous with the personal security of the individual, and even life. In the community it was easier to hunt, to defend against the attacks of wild animals. If a member of the community falls ill, they are treated, assisted, and food is shared. Outside the community, the life of a loner is much more dangerous. It is in connection with these factors that most people are afraid of being rejected or misunderstood by society, they are afraid of being socially isolated.

The main psychological characteristics that are inherited are neuroticism and accentuation, as well as temperament. Based on these components, the formation of character occurs. If the psychological characteristics of children and parents are similar, then they are similar and the fears that arise in them, the same type of perception is created. Such a background provides the formation of fear-inducing situations.

Also, certain social factors are significant reasons for the emergence of an irrational fear of public entry. This category includes bullying in childhood, incorrect methods of education, moments of negative perception of the child at school, negative, non-pedagogical attitude of the teacher. Often, the child's performance is evaluated negatively by teachers or parents, and the reason for such behavior is the desire to arouse in the child the desire to become even better, although in reality his performance was not so bad. Thus, their criticism is not at all good, but contributes to the development of peyraphobia. A family can also become a sign of the development of any social fear, when a mother behaves incorrectly, intimidating a naughty child that she will not love him or give him up for education in an orphanage.

If Peiraphobia is developed in a severe form, then a person suffering from this disease shows a number of signs that are characteristic of any phobic fear. When there is a fear of public entry, the person's throat dries up, breathing becomes difficult. Some people feel that they have lost the ability to speak at all, and cannot utter a single word. There is a clear trembling in the knees, dizziness occurs, the heart rhythm is disturbed. But, as a rule, most patients still cope with the situation, and of course, no one runs away from the stage. Although, only they themselves know what incredible efforts of will they had to impeccably play their role, read the text, and, moreover, smile sweetly at the audience, and nod their heads at the appropriate moments.

Of course, among total number Peiraphobes have a lot of losers for whom a five-minute stay on stage brings great disappointment, both to themselves and to the audience. A person stumbles, makes many reservations. Thus, the impression of his work and of him deteriorates significantly. Therefore, the main thing that needs to be done before a speech for a person suffering from peyraphobia is how to prepare. Such a fairly simple method recommended by psychologists is quite effective. The fact is that when a person is confident in his abilities, his degree of anxiety is significantly reduced. You can record your speech on a voice recorder, listen to it, make the necessary corrections and changes. To feel confident on stage, you should take care of appearance. Costume, accessories, etc., should be chosen taking into account the characteristics of the audience.

A person who wants to achieve some success in modern society has to constantly talk with other people and speak in front of small and large audiences. The profession of a teacher and a politician, a scientist and an ordinary manager requires developed communication skills. Stage fright (peiraphobia, glossophobia,) which almost 95% of the population has can prevent a person from revealing oratorical talents.

Glossophobia: symptoms

Fearpublic speakingfamiliar to everyone: trembling of the limbs, slight excitement, insomnia, which appears only on the eve of the very big day and confused thoughts. However, it is enough to speak in front of the audience, to see approval and understanding in the eyes of the audience, and the newly minted speaker becomes more confident and liberated. Peiraphobia causes a person much deeper anxiety and anxiety; it is just one of the variants of the fear of speaking at all. In medicine, the fear of talking to people associated with stuttering is called logophobia or glossophobia. If stage fright is connected precisely with how you start stuttering in public, this variant of the disorder is called lalophobia. There are situations when panic fear makes it necessary to say some specific words, the pronunciation of which causes a person to stutter. This form of the disorder is called verbophobia.

Logophobia in any of its manifestations causes characteristic symptoms:

• high blood pressure and pulsation in the temples;
• tachycardia and increased sweating;
• dry mouth and "wadded" legs;
• sometimes the voice disappears, its timbre may change: it becomes squeaky or chesty, too loud or quiet;
• in other cases, the person panics so much that he cannot get a word out of himself.

If the patient is emotional and sensitive, then at the moment when he is in front of an audience, his face may turn pale, nausea appears, dizziness, limbs may become cold. Such a speech will end quickly enough, because in most cases the speaker either gathers his courage and calms down, or loses consciousness. In young children who are forced to recite a rhyme in front of a crowd of relatives or answer in front of a whole class, sometimes lalophobia is accompanied by involuntary urination. In adults, this symptom is rarely observed.

Stage fright as a result of upbringing

Lalophobia develops more often in children brought up by strict and authoritarian parents. It is enough for mom or dad to tell the child that you can’t talk loudly on the street or in public places and attract attention to yourself so that he eventually develops stage fright. They try to bring up other children as intelligent and modest, they inspire that it is better to sit in the audience than to try to take the place of a lecturer.

The fear of public speaking often haunts people who at a young age were forbidden, intimidated, who were subjected to physical or psychological violence. The atmosphere of constant pressure and depreciation of any achievements contributes to underestimation of self-esteem. When a speaker is not sure of his mental abilities, external data or the significance of the proposed idea, it is more difficult for him to pull himself together and overcome the fear of the audience.

Children who have been instilled with ambition and the need to always be first suffer from perfectionism and inflated self-esteem. It makes them value the opinion of society, which is why the fear of speaking is formed. A person is frightened by the possibility of being ridiculed or hearing criticism from the audience, which will hurt his pride and make him doubt his own abilities.

Fear of public speaking: genetic memory

Some psychologists argue that logophobia is a genetic problem. In primitive society, man tried not to separate from the masses, so as not to be rejected. Exile in most cases meant death by predator or starvation. Modern speakers are quite adapted to survive in splendid isolation, but subconscious instincts and fears can play a cruel joke with them.

The reason for the development of a phobia is also considered the presence of bad experience in the past. For example, when a schoolboy or student was publicly ridiculed, making him feel worthless. Memories deeply cut into the subconscious if not only classmates, but also the teacher himself took an active part in the persecution. Strong personalities try to get the maximum benefit from such situations, use the experience gained to train willpower and character. People who are sensitive, prone to self-criticism and depressive states, withdraw and simply refuse the opportunity to share their thoughts with others.

Logophobia appears in patients with speech defects. They are quite comfortable in the company of friends, but a large audience scares them, because listeners can ridicule his speech impediments. Such people are recommended treatment, which is aimed at improving diction and increasing self-confidence.

Fear of blushing as the cause of glossophobia

Patients with erythrophobia refuse public speaking due to the characteristics of their own body. Experiencing excitement or other strong emotions, they blush. Among the causes of a traitorous blush, there are problems with the nervous and vascular systems, hormonal disorders and the consequences of stressful situations.

More often, glossophobia in this form is diagnosed in blue-eyed and fair-haired patients with thin and pale skin. Erythrophobes try once again not to appear in public, because the accumulation of strangers makes them worry and panic, blush and be embarrassed even more.

Erythrophobes refuse high positions, because a director or a successful lawyer will have to take part in conferences, speak to subordinates or juries. For some patients, breathing exercises and self-hypnosis treatment help to get rid of the fear of public speaking, while others have to work with psychologists for a long time. If treatment with drugs and psychotherapy does not help, the person is offered surgical ways to overcome the problem. They just pinch certain nerve endings, and the patient gets the opportunity to communicate with other people, speak in front of huge audiences and not blush.

How to overcome the fear of public speaking?

Someone considers stage fright a trifle, but neglected logophobia can develop into a serious problem. The patient at first avoids public speaking, after that he is shy of friends, and over time he tries to isolate himself from society as a whole so as not to get into awkward situations.

The classic advice given to all new speakers is to mentally undress the audience or dress in ridiculous costumes to relieve tension. Others recommend making friends with the audience, focusing on the listeners who follow every word spoken with interest and admiration. A smile, gestures of approval and support help to cope with stress.

To overcome panic and excitement, it is recommended to carefully prepare for the performance. Select interesting and reliable material, rehearse your speech several times in front of a mirror or a pet. You can dictate a speech on the phone, then listen to it in order to find mistakes and get rid of them before the speech.

Perfectionist, pedantic people should relax a bit. Give yourself the right to make one or more frivolous mistakes, because no one is perfect, even opponents who try to find inaccuracies in the given facts with a satisfied smirk.

Getting rid of negative memories

It is more difficult to cope with the memories of the past, which prevent you from relaxing and make you expect the worst. Psychologists give some advice on how to overcome stage fright and believe in yourself. At home, it is useful to perform special exercises and master breathing exercises that will help normalize the heartbeat and muffle fear.

Meditation can overcome the tension that lalophobia causes, but it takes at least a few months to do it. A couple of hours before the performance, it is helpful to solve simple or complex mathematical equations in order to activate the left hemisphere of the brain. Then it will be easier to concentrate on the topic and answer all the questions of the audience.

Toovercomepanic, you should tune in to a positive result. Imagine the audience jumping up from their seats and giving a standing ovation, amazed by the performance. How the proposed idea will turn the world upside down or make people's lives easier, and bring universal recognition and fame to its creator.

You need to watch your body: do not cross your arms or legs, do not close yourself from the audience. Muscles and gestures should be as relaxed as possible, and postures should be open. In serious cases, when peyraphobia interferes with career advancement, and you cannot get rid of the problem on your own, you should consult a psychologist and undergo a course of treatment. You may need to take sedatives or tranquilizers.

Treatment by a specialist will help you relax and reveal your oratorical potential. But the main weapon of all successful lecturers, lawyers and business coaches is a smile. Sincere, broad, confident and disarming. After all, sometimes it is enough to smile at the world for it to smile at you.

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Each person at least once had to speak in public - some have a professional duty associated with this, for example, teachers, politicians, artists, managers, lawyers. Now there is even a separate specialty - the speaker.

According to psychologists, stage fright is so developed that it is felt by about 95% of the total population. Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears that causes a lot of inconvenience and also worsens a person's condition. Consider how to overcome the fear of speaking, and what treatment modern medicine offers.

Description of the phobia

The fear of public speaking is called the medical term glossophobia, and in some cases it really should be treated. This fear of public speaking was familiar to many outstanding people. Faina Ranevskaya, musician Glenn Gould, singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau were afraid of the stage among celebrities.

For many, the fear of speaking in front of an audience becomes a serious stress blow, in which the absence of any treatment and proper therapy leads to the development of a full-fledged mental disorder and social phobia.

Under the influence of fear, a person develops the so-called protective behavior. Such behavior helps to get rid of stress only at first, and if the problem is not solved in the future, a person cannot cope with fear and protective behavior becomes his normal daily pattern.

Such behavior begins to interfere with personal and career growth, forms mental problems and a distorted perception of reality.

That is why the fear of speaking should be recognized at the initial stages, you should not be afraid to resort to the help of a specialist who will determine in each individual case how not to be afraid to speak.

Typical and atypical fear

Consider how a phobia manifests itself, since it is impossible to overcome the fear of public speaking without an accurate identification of the pathology. In addition to glossophobia, there is another name - peyraphobia. It is worth distinguishing from it the ordinary excitement that a person experiences before speaking to an audience, and a pathological fear of public speaking.

The reaction is quite adequate when a person is worried before an oral entrance exam, a performance with a musical number. In the circle of acquaintances, such people easily cope with fear and calmly demonstrate their talents.

Psychologists say that a little anxiety in front of the public has its advantages. Before the upcoming performance, a person concentrates attention, becomes more collected and energetic, as a result, the course of any public performances is kept under control and goes well.

A person who suffers from stage fright experiences true fear both before and after the performance, in addition, he is afraid even after the end of the performance, he cannot cope with fear, even if he performed well.

Such a fear remains both in front of an unfamiliar and in front of a familiar audience; it cannot be overcome, regardless of the number of listeners and the degree of acquaintance with them.

Symptoms

A phobia can have a variety of causes, but almost always causes the same symptoms. Before the performance, only after seeing future listeners, a person instantly feels a strong emotional tension.

• The cerebral cortex, the endocrine glands, the sympathetic system are activated, as a result of which the work of the internal organs changes in this way - the muscles tense up, facial expressions and gestures change, speech changes are also observed that are difficult to cope with - a change in the timbre of the voice, speed of speech.
• The autonomic system responds with increased sweating, frequent heartbeat, jumps in blood pressure, headache and squeezing sensations in the chest.
• When people are terribly afraid of a performance, there is a dry mouth, trembling and confusion of the voice, a complete loss of the ability to speak articulately, in addition, even involuntary urination.
• Sometimes, with high nervous excitability, a person can even faint, and before that, feel nausea, weakness, dizziness, his skin becomes pale, covered with perspiration.

The strength of the symptoms and the complex of symptoms is individual, depending on the characteristics of the person and his character, state of the body and mood.

Reasons for the development of a phobia

The main reasons for the development of this phobia are both genetic predisposition and social factors.

• There is a genetic tendency to certain varieties of fear, for example, to social phobia, or congenital increased anxiety. A person is constantly trying to meet certain standards, afraid of being misunderstood and rejected, unfairly assessed, isolated from society. Among the characteristics that are inherited, note the temperament, the level of anxiety and emotional perception. Parents and children can be very similar in this, having the same fears.

• The most serious, underlying causes of phobias are social conditions. The development of phobias is facilitated by excessively strict upbringing, intimidation and threats in childhood by parents, excessive susceptibility to the opinions of others.
• A negative assessment of one's abilities and capabilities, a negative experience in childhood, which was subjected to vivid criticism, a distortion of a stressful situation and its exaggeration, can also contribute to the development of a phobia.
• Pathology can develop due to low self-esteem, lack of self-confidence in front of listeners, poor presentation preparation and lack of knowledge. For many, a phobia develops precisely for the reason that there was very little experience in performing.
• On the other hand, glossophobia often occurs against the backdrop of a constant striving for perfection, and often accompanies perfectionists and people who value social evaluation.

Coping Methods

How to get rid of stage fright, and what treatment is indicated for such a pathology? Specialized help is needed only when the fear becomes panicky and neurotic, passing all the lines. In other cases, overcoming the fear of public speaking is possible with the help of auto-training.

The main ways to overcome stage fright are, first of all, in the awareness of this problem, and then in the analysis of the reasons that led to the development of pathology. Then solutions are developed and tested in practice.

Removing the uncertainty factor

To overcome the fear of public speaking, you should get rid of the uncertainty factor of the audience sitting in front of you. Analyze the purpose of their meeting, what they expect from what they heard, and what kind of reaction you would like to get from the audience. Analysis of the situation allows you to avoid the unknown and stop being afraid of the unknown reaction of people.

disillusionment

Nervous excitement increases when a person concentrates on the negative features of the public. Among such traits, skeptical smiles, disapproving gestures, inattention, and whispering during a speech are usually noted.

You can change your own state by mentally endowing people with positive qualities, paying attention not to negative, but to positive features- Approving gestures, interested and attentive looks.

Another good way eliminate the illusion that everyone in the room is against you, concentrate on the positive result of the work done.

Speech planning

One of the most important tips on how to overcome stage fright and how to deal with nervousness is to carefully prepare for the performance. Confidence in your own preparation and the sufficiency of information allows you to relax a little and tune in to a quality performance.

For example, when preparing a report, one should first of all analyze and study the source data obtained from various authoritative sources. Then create a unique text and write down the main theses of your report, make a speech plan- what to say and when. Choose strong arguments in your favor and do not lose sight of them throughout the report, anticipate possible questions and prepare answers to them.

Ways to overcome fear lie in a thorough rehearsal - to stop stuttering and stammering during a speech, rehearse the report in front of a mirror, or read it to your loved ones. Since it is impossible to stop being afraid without a certain experience, a rehearsal in front of your closest ones will be a good workout.

Recognition of imperfection

Before you fight your fears, accept the fact that the importance of other people can be greatly exaggerated. Do not give too much importance to criticism, skepticism and sarcasm, realize that everyone has the right to make a mistake. Also remember that even well-wishers can wishful thinking, because not a single opinion around can be the ultimate truth.

Learn techniques that increase self-esteem and self-esteem, feel your own value and the uniqueness of your personality. You will also have to accept the fact that other individuals are just as unique and have the right to make mistakes in exactly the same way as you.

Get ready for a positive outcome

You can effectively overcome fear if you focus on the process of achieving the goal, and not on the result. Fix your actions in the present, as if looking at yourself from the side without exaggeration and understatement. Imagine the positive aspects of your being on stage - this will allow you to defeat fear and get rid of it faster each time in the future.

Treatment of pathology may include physical activity, the study of proper breathing techniques, training the work of the left hemisphere of the brain, for example, working with mathematical calculations or other exact science. One of the pleasant ways to fight is to hum a favorite tune, meditate, practice body posture to achieve more open and restrained positions.