Public Speaking Fears
Public speaking fears can be debilitating. Fear of speaking in front of others affects not only a person’s job, but also their daily life. The good news is that public speaking fears are treatable and even curable in some instances. The first step is recognizing public speaking fears.
There are two types of public speaking fears. They include specific public speaking fears and generalized public speaking fears.
Generalized Public Speaking Fears
Generalized public speaking fears are most common. Sufferers of generalized public speaking fears are afraid of being the focus of attention at any time. This includes fearing simple social situations like speaking in front of friends, family, or strangers. Many times this fear worsens when the sufferer sees others taking notes.
The simplest of speaking situations, such as speaking up during an office meeting stress the sufferers of generalized public speaking fears. A sufferer may spend hours dreading the upcoming meeting and worrying about the speaking situation.
Specific Public Speaking Fears
Specific public speaking fears relate to “performing.” Instead of stressing over simply speaking, a sufferer of specific public speaking fears is worried about how they will perform when speaking in front of large audiences.
Specific public speaking fears are also known as stage fright. The anxiety experienced is due to the fear of not performing well, instead of a fear of speaking in front of others as with generalized public speaking fears.
Signs of a person suffering with public speaking fears include:
• A person who avoids social activities with family and friends. Sufferers of general public speaking fears are often reclusive.
• A person who does not have many friends. Sufferers of generalized public speaking fears do not enjoy meeting new people. They are often reluctant to speak in front of new people due to criticism worries.
• A person afraid or with an intense dislike of being embarrassed in front of others. A person who may get overemotional in an embarrassing situation. Sufferers of generalized public speaking fears may cry or run away from embarrassing situations.
• A person who tries to get out of speaking by exaggerating the dangers that may occur while speaking.
• A person who does not speak in public due to a fear of saying something wrong, inappropriate, or silly. Sufferers of public speaking fears are often terrified of being embarrassed.
• A person who does not strive to achieve. Sufferers of public speaking fears are often reclusive and are not “go-getters” who strive to achieve.
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