| Just the words
"public speaking" can cause instant terror in some
of us. In fact, many people have a real fear of talking in
public and some research suggests it’s one of the most
common fears in the UK.
Whether it’s making a speech at a wedding,
giving a professional presentation or speaking in front of
a small number of people, public speaking can cause our body
to shake, our mind to go blank and our stomach to feel physically
sick.
Everything in our mind may be saying “run
away now”, but public speaking requires us to deliver
our speech fluently in spite of all these thoughts and feelings
– which often seems impossible.
So what is it about standing up and talking
in front of other people that causes so much anxiety?
The fear of public speaking is a form of social
phobia, and our natural ‘fight or flight’ response
takes over us – making us believe we’re in some
kind of danger that we need to escape from.
This unconscious response can cause our throats
to feel tight, our heart to beat faster, sweating, breathlessness,
sickness and a number of other symptoms.
The good news however, is that we have the
ability to re-educate our mind to no longer see public speaking
as a threat, and therefore create more appropriate responses
for those situations that require us to talk in public.
Symptoms:
Some people may only suffer mildly with one
or two symptoms, while others may suffer extreme anxiety and
have a number of symptoms. Symptoms include:
* Inability to speak
* Shortness of breath
* Sweating
* Shaking
* Shaky voice
* Nausea
* Rapid breathing
* Blushing
* Mental blocks
* Tight chest
* Feeling nervous
* Feeling embarrassed
* Panicky
Cause:
There are a number of reasons why individuals
may suffer from a fear of public speaking, including:
* Lack of confidence/self-esteem
* Self-consciousness
* Fear about making a mistake, saying the wrong thing or falling
over
* Fear of being the centre of attention
* Being in an unfamiliar situation
* Fear of being laughed at
* Fear of forgetting what to say
* Fear of being judged
Treatment
Hypnosis has been found to be extremely successful
for those suffering with a fear of public speaking. It can
build confidence levels and allow you to remain calm and relaxed,
while developing new positive ways of thinking and feeling.
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy aims to seek out
the root cause of the anxiety by accessing the part of your
mind that is triggering the fear and help you to change how
it responds.
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