Kendra Crossley
October 14, 2012
Originally from personal Blog
Glossophobia
Public speaking is a tricky thing and everyone has to do it at some point. As Ralph Waldo
Emerson put it "Happy is the hearing man; unhappy the speaking man." Have you ever opened
your mouth to recite a speech and found the words had somehow magically disappeared into the
air, as if your audience somehow managed to take them right out of your mouth? If you have,
you are not alone. A good percentage of the public has in some way, shape and form has
experienced this uncomfortable and even terrifying phenomenon known as glossophobia, or fear
of public speaking.
Lisa Fritscher, a mentor with a B.A. in Psychology, describes this public speaking fear as
"remarkably common"; her experience shows that about a whopping 75% of the public have
glossophobia. So with the phobia being as common as it is, why does our society so heavily
depend on public presentations in everything from our careers to learning the alphabet in
kindergarten? Somehow it is not only beneficial for one to be able to speak in public, it is
necessary. Why are we so afraid of something that is so vital to our success? Daniel J. DeNoon,
who has won several awards with his work with public health, answers this question by
explaining that although glossophobics are afraid to speak in public, there is a large portion of
this group who suffer in less degrees and can therefore speak without getting sick and in
addition, there are many helps and aids out there that help catalyze the courage needed to
overcome this fear. What I want to briefly explore today is the different types of anxiety that one
can experience and the methods that are out there to help people overcome their fears.
There are two types of people who experience glossophobia, chances are if you fear public
speaking, you are going to fit into one category or the other; habituaters and sensitizers. If you
are a Habituaters, you have a lower anxiety traits and the worse part of speaking for you is
getting those first words out of your mouth. Habitauters usually say something along the lines of
'I was so nervous when I started but by the time I finished it wasn't so bad. I even wished I had
more time.' According to Professor of Department of Communication at TCU, Paul L. Witt, what
happens is these types of speakers have habituated, or have "gotten used to the context of public
speaking"
Fortunately for habituaters, getting over their fear is relatively easy, they just have to find
something that is motivating enough to get them into the hot seat, like an assignment for class or
a presentation that their job depends on. For people like myself things are not so easy. Whenever
I speak in public (which is far too much for my own taste), I start the speech just a little nervous,
or nervous enough to be a little uncomfortable and somehow end the speech nearly falling to my
knees.
People who experience this are known as sensitizers, going through the exact opposite of the
habituaters experience. Rather than focusing on what you are saying or where you are going with
an argument, sensitizers tend to find the little things that "ruin" their speech like trembling hands
or knobbly knees. They get really into the speech, just in the worst ways possible. And when the
speech is over, DeNoon says that "sensitizers don't relax. In fact, they become even more
anxious."
So we understand a little about the different types of glossophobics, but how can we manage this
fear?
With glossophobia, there is no such thing as unavailable help. There are training courses, selfhelp material in every bookstore and organizations that that help you improve and fine tune your
speaking ability and give you the confidence that you need to succeed. For those who may
experience a more severe case (much like myself), there are therapies that can help you manage
your fear, by taking yourself out of the panic, calm yourself down and boost your confidence
levels. If all else fails, there are several medications in the market that your doctor can prescribe
to help you in your weakest moments.
Toastmaters is an organization that is dedicated to helping people overcome their fear. They have
an active community, classes that you can take and advice from leaders. On Toastmasters
website, you can find helpful tips in preparing for a presentation like "know your material",
"concentrate on the message- not the medium" and "relax" all directed for those who feel anxiety
towards speaking in front of others at any degree.
Finishing off his earlier statement, Emerson goes on saying "speech is power: speech is to
persuade, to convert, to compel." If you experience public speaking fear, great or small, you can
know that you are not alone. Whether you are a sensitizer or a habituater, you can find strength
and others just like you. There is help out there for you and if you choose to overcome your fear,
you will find success in your work, school and personal life. The power to speak without fear
gives you power to excel in life.
Sources
DeNoon, Daniel. "Fear of Public Speaking Hardwired." Speech Anxiety Worse for Some, but Most can Overcome It. (2006): 14
Oct. 2012.
http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/20061101/fear-public-speaking
Fritscher, Lisa. "Glossophobia." Fear of Public Speaking. (2011): 14 Oct. 2012.
http://phobias.about.com/od/phobiaslist/a/glossophobia.htm
"Do you Suffer from Glossophoba?." Glossophobia.com,
http://www.glossophobia.com/index.html
"10 Tips for Public Speaking." Toastmasters International,
http://www.toastmasters.org/tips.asp