Speech Anxiety (Glossophobia) Symptoms
Speech anxiety or glossophobia is simply the fear of speaking in public, which most people have had at some point in their lifetime. It is not a major mental illness; rather, it is misconceived interpretation that if the person makes a mistake, they will feel embarrassed.
This severe fear of speaking in public causes people to freeze while in front of an audience, even if they are speaking to a couple of people, they may freeze up. Their mouth often becomes dry and their voice weak. The body starts to shake often, which is caused by a panic or anxiety attack.
Some people who suffer from speech anxiety will often shy away from opportunities to speak in public areas. Their symptoms are often severe, which causes them to feel extremely embarrassed or even fearful of speaking in public.
This fear may develop in a classroom, on stage or other area where there is a crowd. People in certain workplaces may experience anxiety attacks brought on by Glossophobia. For example, a manager may panic at the notion of presenting a speech to his superiors.
When the fear emerges, the person often feels emotionally distraught. Butterflies may develop in the stomach or the person may experience sweaty palms. This fear of speaking in public can cause people to miss opportunities in social, academic or job sectors.
People with fear of speaking in public tend to experience intense anxiety before the thought of speaking in public in front of a group occurs. They may avoid events, especially events that involve group gathering. They may experience physical distress such as panic or nausea.
The primary symptoms of speech anxiety or glossophobia fall into three main categories: nonverbal, verbal and physical. These physical symptoms will often be overt and may include rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, dry mouth, tight upper back muscles, stiffening of the neck and excess sweatig, etc.
Speech Anxiety Test Online
Taking our speech anxiety test online is a good way to find out what level of speech anxiety you have and what to do next. The speech anxiety test only takes a few minutes to fill out and you will instantly get your automatically generated answer, including recommended speech anxiety therapy. The test is completely anonymous and free.
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