# Public Speaking Therapiy?



## DrewDrewson (Mar 29, 2010)

Hey everyone, I have a massive fear of public speaking as I'm sure most can relate. It's when my social anxiety reaches its absolute worst. I'm in school and I want to eventually graduate but I know I'm going to have to give presentations :shock I want to see someone who specializes in public speaking fears because I can't just go from this to toastmasters. It's too big of a leap. So does anyone know if there are specialists who can provide a beginner platform for people who are scared sh... or specialize in this fear? I can't find any on google.

Thanks


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## tikerkub (Sep 26, 2011)

Hi Drew. While I don't know any specific specialist by name, I would highly recommend taking any beginner's public speaking course. I engage in periodic public speaking engagements as part of my occupation. Maybe I can help. Someone else on this forum asked me about this as well via private message, so I'll just copy paste what I told him 



> Hi ___. First off, I'd like to commend you for improving yourself through public speaking, a very useful skill that can improve many aspects of life. It's not a natural ability. Even seemingly outgoing people often have trouble with public speaking as it's quite different than day-to-day socializing. This is important because it means that someone with SA does not necessarily have more difficulty in public speaking. It takes practice, practice, and more practice . I was not a good public speaker in the beginning but as it was required for my job I rehearsed enough to be more comfortable with it. I would be happy to share some tips and prepping techniques that I've learned on the way:
> 
> 1) Organize your speaking points. A good speech, like a good essay, is well organized and easy to follow. Most times, though not always, a public speaking event is educational so your audience's perception of a good speech depends a great deal on the content and how it's presented. Create a basic outline of the speech that connects the main topics well with each other and memorize it.
> 
> ...


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## DrewDrewson (Mar 29, 2010)

Hey tiker, thanks for the reply. Any guidance is helpful because I'm clueless where to start. So these beginning courses, are they at a local college or something? Is that how you started? And were your symptoms really bad when you first started?


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## tikerkub (Sep 26, 2011)

Yes, classes can be found in local community colleges. There are also some organizations that specialize in public speaking training, like toastmasters and Dale Carnegie Public Speaking Seminars. I did not have the luxury of training through them as I was sort thrust into the field through my work. 

Nervousness before a public speaking event is completely normal, not in and of itself a symptom of anything. You just lack experience and practice; this is easily remedied. As I said above, the best thing you can do with anxiety is to channel it into energy. You have to let it out productively.


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## DrewDrewson (Mar 29, 2010)

Yeah nervousness is normal but I get downright terrified. And then all the physical symptoms. I was hoping there was something I could do before toastmasters, like specifically for people who have this fear. Toastmasters would just be too much for me to start off with.


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## tomcoldaba (Jul 1, 2007)

If you join toastmasters, you can perform simple role of timer or ah counter where you stand and read the time of the toastmasters speeches. All Toastmasters have this anxiety. Otherwise they would not be members. You can develop at your own pace. You will not be forced to do anything. Maybe check a toastmaster meeting near you to see if it will work for you. If you tell the toastmaster that you are very nervous, they will not ask you to speak.


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## AnthonyR (Jul 24, 2012)

You can try to listen to my CD here. and share your results so that others could benefit too. Here's the link: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/anthonyrizk

To your ultimate success,
Anthony


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## UnjustifiedThoughts (Apr 25, 2011)

Drew, some good advice here so far, esp the Toastmasters thing. Find one near you that welcomes people who are "terrified". Most don't required you to speak on the first night unless you want to.

Also, if you have physical symptoms, see your doctor about getting a prescription for Inderal. Try taking it a couple of hours before some event. It wont knock you out, but it reduces blood pressure and blocks the adrenaline rush that causes the physical symptoms I believe. 

Most docs have no trouble prescribing it. It is non habit forming and can be used as needed. Don't buy it online, you need to be sure that your primary doc knows everything that you are taking. Also, dont go the "benzo" route for this problem. It will make you a mess in the long run.


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## blue the puppy (Jul 23, 2011)

i would definitely recommend toastmasters. i've never done it (i honestly dont have a huge public speaking fear). but my ex joined and it worked wonders for him.


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## dismiss (Jul 26, 2012)

I have to do it at work. It's difficult. 
Really seems to depend on the day, & the group that I'm speaking to as to whether it goes well or not.
We _have to_ keep our morning meeting going for half an hour, that's the hardest part of it for me. I've never seen more than 26 people at the meeting, so it's a small crowd.
On a bad day, I go into a cold sweat, and need to get off the floor to collect myself afterwards.


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## LifeIsGood (Jan 29, 2012)

*A good support group can be a bridge*

Drew, I would recommend you find a good SA support group, if there is one in your area. We run one in South HJ and are hoping to expand. Think of it as a cross between group therapy and Toastmasters. We work on individual fear in a gradual hierarchical fashion, and it's a guaranteed safe environment, because everyone has SA, unlike Toastmasters, where wom members are just seeking to refine their delivery skills. If by chance you are in NJ you can PM me for more info. until we finish our website you can find us on our meetup site here http://www.meetup.com/Find-Your-Voice-South-Jersey-branch/.


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## Natureandadmirer (Jul 29, 2012)

I also do have some similar problem and i am trying to resolve it out on my own but its not getting remarkably better i am also thinking about to visit a therapist!


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## Pippo (Aug 1, 2012)

dismiss said:


> I have to do it at work. It's difficult.
> Really seems to depend on the day, & the group that I'm speaking to as to whether it goes well or not.
> We _have to_ keep our morning meeting going for half an hour, that's the hardest part of it for me. I've never seen more than 26 people at the meeting, so it's a small crowd.
> On a bad day, I go into a cold sweat, and need to get off the floor to collect myself afterwards.


Absolutely the same here....I had a couple of bad days in a row and never come back my fear now is uncontrolable everytime .... so I mix betablokker and benzo....


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