Glossophobia

Glossophobia

Glossophobia is the fear of speaking in public. According to the encyclopedia, the word "glossophobia" comes from two Greek words meaning "tongue" and "fear." It is said that glossophobia is a form of stage fright.

The symptoms of glossophobia are: are "breathlessness, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, shaking, heart palpitations, inability to think clearly, a fear of dying, becoming mad or losing control, a sensation of detachment from reality or a full blown anxiety attack," according to the phobia-fear-release.com website.

As phobias go, glossophobia is believed to be the one that is most widespread. It is estimated that 75% of people are affiliated to some degree by glossophobia, and 90% of all people say that their number one fear is speaking in public.

According to Wikipedia, "The more specific symptoms of speech anxiety can be grouped into three categories: physical, verbal, and non-verbal. Physical symptoms result from the Autonomic Nervous System responding to the situation with a 'fight or flight' reaction. These symptoms include acute hearing, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, dilated pupils, increased perspiration, increased oxygen intake, stiffening of neck/upper back muscles, and dry mouth. The verbal symptoms include, but are not limited to a tense voice, a quivering voice, and repetition of 'Umms' and 'Ahhs' which tend to comfort anxious speakers. One form of speech anxiety is dysfunctional speech anxiety, in which the intensity of the 'fight or flight' response prevents an individual from performing effectively."

The causes of glossophobia are thought to be either a prior incident that was suffered by the person or someone that he knows, or the fear starts slowly and builds up over time.

The good news is that glossophobia can be treated, and it can be overcome. Some very famous people are afflicted with glossophobia and have conquered it. You might be surprised to learn that some of these famous people include Barbra Streisand, Kristy MacColl, and Dusty Springfield.

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