At different times in our lives, we are all, in one way or another, faced with the need to speak in front of an audience - from reciting poems at a matinee in kindergarten or answering questions at a school blackboard, to presenting an innovative business project to potential partners and investors. What can we say about top managers, sales representatives, lawyers, artists, television journalists and representatives of other professions for whom public speaking is part of their regular duties.
However, in such moments, it can be difficult to gather your thoughts and demonstrate complete confidence in front of the public. The reason for this is fear - an evil wizard capable of overnight turning the speaker’s triumphant appearance on the “stage” into an absolutely pitiful spectacle.
Today we will talk in detail about this common destructive phenomenon. Let's consider the key features of the fear of public speaking and find ways to overcome it together with the intelligent psychologist Evgenia Shramchenko . In this case, intelligent is not only because he is experienced and qualified, but also because he can explain to his clients in simple and accessible language the algorithm for solving any problems.
From the personal archive of Evgenia Shramchenko /
What causes people to have stage fright?
Fear of performing is a natural human reaction. However, if anxiety states with characteristic symptoms regularly appear, then we can talk about the appearance of a mental illness. In the work of psychiatrists and psychologists, the above condition is called glossophobia or fear of public speaking.
Signs, symptoms of phobia.
When this fear appears, it is imperative to perform certain actions, and in order to overcome the fear of speaking, you should visit a psychologist. Otherwise, it will be more difficult for a person with a phobic condition to cope with various tasks in life.
About the name of the phobia
Glossophobia is characterized by panic about having to speak in front of people. There is a clear line separating a phobia and ordinary fear of performing. The natural fear of speaking at various events appears before important events; it is short-lived.
In the presence of a phobia, a person develops a very strong fear of speaking, regardless of how important the intended event is. Sometimes problems arise when voicing information even in front of several interlocutors or listeners.
About the manifestations of fear characteristic of those who speak in public, glossophobia has specific symptoms. The specified state, which causes fear of speaking, will appear without taking into account the duration of the speech and the number of people gathered in the audience.
The cause of nervous shock due to the fear of public speaking is anxiety. She appears much earlier than the event itself. This anxiety is visible when contacting the audience.
A variety of factors can cause anxiety. People's ridicule, criticism of one's shortcomings, condemnation of professional skills - all these fears are characteristic of glossophobes.
Glossophobia: I'm afraid to perform!
Should glossophobia be treated? Certainly! After all, the ability to express your thoughts is a way to open any doors, attract attention and climb the career ladder. Yes, this disease is not fatal, you can remain a mumbler for the rest of your life, avoiding unpleasant moments and hiding behind other people’s backs at a crucial moment. But why, if you can deal with the problem quickly and quite easily? 9 out of 10 people experience fear of public to one degree or another. In terms of prevalence, glossophobia ranks second, second only to the fear of death.
It is believed that the roots of glossophobia lie in human essence. Even primitive people were afraid of being rejected by the tribe or being chosen as a “sacrifice,” so they tried not to stand out. They, like our contemporaries, were not indifferent to the opinion of the community. Genetics are difficult to overcome, which is why glossophobia is inherent in many people from birth.
The disorder is caused not only by hereditary preconditions, but also by negative life situations that have arisen. Sometimes the disease has several causes:
Character traits
Glossophobia occurs in indecisive people who are not confident in their abilities. Sometimes neurosis is detected in early childhood. When trying to read a simple poem at a children's party, the baby experiences fear, dizziness and a feeling of lack of air. It happens that over time the disorder disappears, and in adulthood it appears again.
Miseducation
Parents instill in their children that speaking loudly, standing out, and attracting attention is bad. The child is taught that people may ridicule him for his stupidity, appearance, seditious thoughts, or misunderstand him. Suspicious children take everything literally; such conversations turn them into glossophobes. When speaking in public, people are subconsciously afraid of saying something wrong and being humiliated.
Personal qualities
Excessive self-criticism, overestimation of the importance of other people’s opinions, dependence on the “carrot” and fear of the “stick” - people often carefully cultivate these qualities in themselves for years, not realizing that they are cultivating the ground for all kinds of mental disorders.
Negative experience
A person who has unsuccessfully performed in front of an audience finds it difficult to decide to do it again. Negative experiences can be not only personal, but also those of others. If an impressionable person sees someone booed or ridiculed while speaking in public, they may develop glossophobia.
About the features of glossophobia
Fear of speaking appears no matter how well a person knows the audience. Fear of such speeches is typical for giving a report to familiar and unfamiliar listeners.
A person not only experiences psychological discomfort. The fear of public speaking causes him to behave feverishly, disturbances associated with the functioning of the digestion and cardiovascular system occur, and tremors of the limbs may appear.
Can the fear of public speaking go away on its own?
Sometimes, with age (or rather, with experience), the fear of performing can actually disappear on its own. There is no magic in this - it’s just that with each new performance you become more confident in yourself and your oratory skills improve. In addition, the topic with which you have to speak becomes more and more understandable, studied and “native”.
Finally, Evgenia Shramchenko shared another effective piece of advice - enroll in public speaking or acting courses. This is where you can practice your speaking skills, identify your main mistakes and work on them.
“Acting improvisation works especially effectively: after just a month of attending such courses, you will see the result: you will be able to feel equally comfortable sitting in a cozy chair in the hall and standing on stage. Yes, it's real. I wish you all good luck, fabulous performances and a loyal audience!”
What causes people to have stage fright?
The presence of a genetic predisposition for glossophobia should not be ruled out. Sometimes this characteristic detail can characterize the appearance of a phobia.
If parents experience fear of performing, then the child can receive this information at the genetic level. This may also be due to the behavior of adults themselves.
For example, if a child sees that a parent has a strong fear of speaking, the child may develop glossophobia.
Social phobia: what is it and how to deal with it
Social phobia is a condition expressed in the fear of negative evaluation from others. This fear is common among those who worry about how they appear to others. Such people may think that their remarks will seem stupid and their appearance will not be attractive. The difficulties of those suffering from social phobia have a huge impact on their personal and professional lives. Some turn to alcohol and drugs in an attempt to cope with this disorder, which not only does not help, but can also lead to alcoholism and drug addiction in the future.
What does a social phobe look like? He appears to be an anxious, shy person who avoids contact with society. Sometimes this phobia is hidden under the guise of touchiness, or, on the contrary, the person gives the impression of an optimist. Every person at least once in his life has experienced fear of interacting with society in a certain situation, but this is a different fear. The fear and anxiety experienced during social phobia have a detrimental effect on the physical and mental state of a person as a whole. People with such an “illness” stop leading an active life. Every time he meets people, especially when a social phobe hears them laughing, he shudders and begins to think: “I’m not like everyone else,” “They’re the ones laughing at me,” “Something’s wrong with me.”
Symptoms of social phobia
1. This is the fear of publicly humiliating yourself, disgracing yourself, looking bad, etc.
2. The desire to avoid interaction with society.
3. Avoiding eye contact when communicating.
4. Fear of doing work when someone is watching the process.
5. Tremors, increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, nausea, difficulty breathing, redness or paleness of the skin, abdominal pain, dizziness, and in some cases panic attacks are possible.
6. Tendency to evaluate oneself only in a negative light.
7. Excessively high demands on yourself.
8. The desire to run away and hide.
9. All of the above symptoms significantly affect normal life: work, study, communication with other people, etc.
Causes of social phobia
For most people, social phobia has roots in childhood, when the child experienced some strong negative emotion, which was subsequently consolidated in the subconscious. For example, this could be a feeling of shame associated with some unpleasant situation, or if the child was laughed at in kindergarten or school in a certain situation, or if the child was an outcast. These situations forever leave a mark on the child’s psyche, and in the future he will unconsciously avoid situations that may entail the disapproval of others, thereby depriving himself of a successful active life. The person logically understands that there seems to be no reason to worry, but at the same time, for unknown reasons, he loses control over himself.
Hereditary predisposition also plays a large role in the formation of social phobia. The risk of developing social phobia increases if any of your relatives had a predisposition to this disorder. Strict upbringing is also a contributing factor to this disorder. Also, the causes of social phobia include high demands on the child’s education and achievements, inadequate assessment of the child’s capabilities, for example, instead of praising the child, they scold him for doing everything wrong, etc., lack of moral support for the child when he needs it, constant comparison with other more successful peers (“mother’s friend’s son”), excessive care and increased control over the child.
How to overcome social phobia
Today, social phobia is successfully treated with cognitive behavioral therapy, but a person can try to cope with this “illness” himself using simple steps:
1) Form your positive image. To put it differently, stop depending on the assessment of others. Be confident in yourself and in your actions, and do not let the words of another person restrain your activity in society and manipulate you.
2) Replace negative attitudes with positive ones. For example, don’t say: “I’m afraid to talk to strangers,” say: “I will confidently talk to a stranger.”
3) Don't avoid situations that make you anxious: face your fears and they will soon fall away. You are stronger. Take steps to free yourself from fear. But the steps must be small and careful. You don’t need to immediately take on public speaking in front of a large group of people—start with something small, gradually expanding your range of capabilities. For example, talk to someone in a public place. If it is initially difficult for you, then try to “play out” such situations in your head.
4) Learn to relax. This is a very useful skill, especially when anxiety interferes with your life. Just listen to your favorite music, walk outdoors or travel more, or do your hobby. Distract yourself from negative thoughts and also practice meditation from time to time.
5) Understand that you should not have the desire to please everyone, the most important thing is to please yourself. Actually, your behavior in society and ability to carry on a conversation do not give others a complete picture of you as a person. Therefore, you should not focus on this, but you should try to develop your strengths.
6) Remember that people most often think about themselves, not about others. Social phobes, more often than others, are preoccupied with themselves and their behavior, while assessing themselves far from positive. Understand that it will hardly occur to those around you to always think about you and even look for only shortcomings in you.
And most importantly, love yourself and those around you will love you.
You will be provided with specialized qualified assistance at Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 in Makeevka, at the address: Makeevka, Troyanovskogo St., 88A. You can receive psychological assistance by calling the “Trust” phone number: +38071 309 42 03 For information about the institution you can be found on the hospital website makpb1.ru VKontakte group Facebook page
There are no hopeless situations!
Practical psychologist of the Psychiatric Men's Department No. 3 of the Psychiatric Hospital No. 1 of Makeevka Prokudina A.G.
About the causes of glossophobia
We list the factors that can lead to the appearance of glossophobia:
- children's fears (there may be a fear of performances, which formed in childhood - for example, the laughter of children when singing songs or reciting poems);
- the appearance of neurotic diseases (glossophobia can also develop as a result of the inability to control one’s own emotions experienced in a certain situation);
- complexes caused by speech or appearance (a person who experiences fear of speaking believes that his speech or appearance will certainly become the subject of ridicule or severe criticism from listeners);
- The characteristics of upbringing also influence (the child may experience discomfort before taking photographs, speaking in front of the public, or performing other similar public actions, if the parents paid great attention to prohibiting the child from being public).
How to overcome fear of speaking: expert advice
Glossophobia, if it really becomes serious and causes inconvenience, is best dealt with with the help of a professional psychologist. After all, such a problem often interferes with career advancement and makes the life of a person who has to speak in public simply unbearable.
If public speaking is a rare occurrence, then you can try to cope with the problem yourself. Here are some universal tips that really work:
- Remember positive experiences often. Surely you have already had performances that, if they did not create a sensation, were received as positively as possible by the public. Even school reports will do. If you are going to give a public speech for the first time, it is useful to come up with and view in your imagination in every detail a film in which you are the main character - a successful speaker giving a brilliant speech. The audience is sincerely delighted, fascinated and gives you thunderous applause.
- Dedicate a lot of time to preparing for your upcoming public appearance. You must have a clear plan for your speech, thought out to the smallest detail. Attention should also be paid to the technical part: the operation of the microphone, auxiliary materials (posters, cards, flipchart, etc.). It's great if you are a real expert regarding the topic of the speech. In this case, no question from the audience will be able to take you by surprise. But in any case, it is best to think in advance about a universal answer to the questions in which you are “swimming”.
- Make sure you are well rested before your performance. Try relaxation practices and simple meditations. But cramming the night before “day X” does not work - the effect will be the opposite of what was expected.
pexels.com/
