The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia (from the Greek γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread). Fear is a basic emotional sensation and response system (feeling) initiated by an aversion to some perceived risk or threat. ... Public speaking is speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. ...

Glossophobia may be a symptom of stage fright. Stage fright refers to an anxiety, fear or persistent phobia related to performance in front of an audience. ...

Prevalence

It is believed to be the single most common phobia, affecting as much as 75% of all people.^{[citation needed]} When ranked among fears, it generally is the number one fear, surpassing even the fear of death.^{[citation needed]} Glossophobia is considered a social phobia and may be linked to, or sometimes precede, a more severe anxiety disorder. Several talented and successful musicians have the fear of performing in public, including Peter Gabriel, Barbra Streisand and Dusty Springfield. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Social anxiety, sometimes known as social phobia or social anxiety disorder (SAD), is a common form of anxiety disorder that causes sufferers to experience intense anxiety in some or all of the social interactions and public events of everyday life. ... Anxiety disorder is a blanket term covering several different forms of abnormal, pathological anxiety, fears, phobias and nervous conditions that may come on suddenly or gradually over a period of several years, and may impair or prevent the pursuing of normal daily routines. ... Peter Brian Gabriel (born February 13, 1950, in Chobham, Surrey, England) is an English musician. ... Barbra Streisand (born April 24, 1942 as Barbara Joan Streisand), is a two-time Academy Award-winning American singer, theatre and film actress, composer, film producer and director. ... Cover of Springfields 1969 album Dusty In Memphis. ...

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• intense anxiety prior to, or simply at the thought of having to verbally communicate with any group,
• avoidance of events which focus the group's attention on individuals in attendance,
• physical distress, nausea, or feelings of panic in such circumstances.

Many people report stress-induced speech disorders which are only present during public speech. Some glossophobics have been able to dance or perform in public as long as they do not have to speak, or even speak or sing as long as they cannot see the audience. For other uses, see Nausea (disambiguation). ... Panic is a sudden fear which dominates thinking and often affects groups of people or animals. ... Speech disorders, or speech impediments as they are also called, are a type of communication disorders where normal speech is disrupted. ...

Causes

The root cause of glossophobia, although occasionally unknown, can usually be attributed to either:

• a single or multiple traumatic incidents, usually experienced personally but sometimes associated with someone who has,

or

• a slow build-up from avoiding public speaking over time until it builds into a more severe form of glossophobia

or

• a series of beliefs formed early in life some of which have to do with speaking (ex.What I have to say is not important) and some of which have to do with competence and failure (ex.If I fail, I'll be rejected; I'm not capable).

Help and relief

Some organizations, such as Toastmasters International and International Training in Communication, and training courses in public speaking may help to reduce the fear to manageable levels. Self-help materials that address public speaking are among the best selling self-help topics. Some affected people have turned to certain types of drugs, typically beta-blockers to temporarily treat their phobia. However one scientific study published by the journal Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy 13, 183-193 (2006) shows that there is a way to eliminate the fear in an average of 3.5 hours. An abstract of the study can be found at Wiley Interscience. Full text of the study can be found at Lefkoe Institute Toastmasters International (TI) is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization for the purpose of helping its members improve their communication, public speaking and leadership skills. ... International Training in Communication (ITC) is an organization formed in 1938[1] that seeks to help people improve interpersonal skills including speaking, listening and leadership. ... Though the term self-help can refer to any case whereby an individual or a group betters themselves economically, intellectually or emotionally, the connotations of the phrase have come to apply particularly to psychological or psychotherapeutic nostrums, often purveyed through the popular genre of the self-help book. ... Beta blockers (sometimes written as β-blockers) are a class of drugs used for various indications, but particularly for the management of cardiac arrhythmias and cardioprotection after myocardial infarction. ...

See also

• Lalophobia
• Logophobia
• Selective mutism