Fear of public speaking and Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

The fear of public speaking is a social phobia or, in other words, a social anxiety disorder.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, social phobia is a persistent fear of situations in which the person is exposed to possible scrutiny or negative evaluation by others. It is the fear of acting in a way that will be humiliating or embarrassing.

People with a severe social phobia literally feel sick when they are in seemingly non-threatening situations, such as giving a speech, eating out, serving coffee or making a phone call. The physical symptoms of social anxiety include excessive blushing, sweating, trembling, palpitations, nausea, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, headaches and stammering.

Social phobia may be selective or generalized. Some people may have a fear of a single social circumstance, such as making phone calls, talking to superiors or giving speeches, but be perfectly comfortable in other social settings. Others may have a more generalized form of social anxiety: becoming anxious about a variety of routine activities in which they may be evaluated by others.

Social phobia, or social anxiety disorder, affects a huge number of people. It is closely related to shyness. The anxiety experience has physiological components (trembling, sweating), cognitive components (e.g. belief that anyone evaluates you) and behavioral components (e.g. avoiding situations). Social anxiety is a real and serious health problem that responds to treatment.

A person with social anxiety disorder may be treated with psychotherapy. The cognitive and behavioural components of psychotherapy seek to change thinking patterns and physical reactions to anxious situations. The Anxiety Disorders Association of America states that cognitive therapy and behavioural therapy, in combination with relaxation techniques, have proven to be effective in the treatment of social phobias.

Cognitive therapy, behavioural therapy and relaxation exercises form the basis of the training programme Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking in 21 days. This programme has proven successful for people who want to overcome their fear of public speaking. And because of the combination of techniques, this training programme is also very helpful for people who want to successfully fight any other form of social phobia.