Studies show that public speaking phobia, and most phobias, develop in middle or late childhood stage. It usually starts from an unpleasant experience like being humiliated in front of the class; this unpleasant experience gets stored in the child's memory and is brought up when faced with similar situations.

Children who have been exposed to people with public speaking phobia, like their parents or friends, learn the phobia by hearing them. They immediately conclude that what they have heard of is true without actually verifying the facts.

Research also shows that genetics also play an important role in developing phobias. It has a tendency to occur in families. Phobias are mostly likely to occur in identical twins, than in fraternal twins.

Luckily, there are many ways to treat Phobia.

PERSONAL MOTIVATION. There are many self-help books that can help you overcome your public speaking phobia. Your desire to overcome your fear is the most important factor of treatment.

PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT. If self-treatment does not work for you, you can seek help from a professional. Exposure to therapy is a good example of this method, which focuses on the behaviour instead of the thoughts of the sufferer.

•Other kinds of treatment include:

Counseling - discussing your phobia with a professional.
Hypnosis - or even self hypnosis
Medication - This method is used if the sufferer has other mental conditions that are affected by the phobia. The use of these drugs can only be used for a short period of time. Using medication alone cannot cure the phobia.

Labels: cures

People who are frightened of public speaking sometimes try to reduce their nerves by having a drink. A quick gin and tonic can't hurt much, they think and they also assume it will steady their nerves making them feel relaxed. But this "Dutch Courage" can actually have the reverse effect - plus if you have a drink that is too big, the audience will notice and not respect you.

However, there are drinks that will help you reduce your nervousness. Herbal and fruit teas are helpful, such as camomile. So too is plain water - often minor amounts of dehydration can reduce your effectiveness making you more nervous.

Any drink containing caffeine, such as tea or coffee, will not help. They will actually make your nervousness more pronounced, so they should be avoided for a full 24 hours before any talk. If you are a heavy drinker of caffeine products you should stop drinking them 7-10 days before your talk so that you do not suffer from withdrawal symptoms.

Labels: cures, remedies

Having worked with thousands of people trying to overcome their fear of public speaking, one of the most common questions I'm asked is are there any cures for public speaking nerves. People seem to want to find a pill that will just get rid of the nerves completely, once and for all. But there is no magic bill that will rid you of your fears. However, that doesn't mean your fear of public speaking cannot be cured. Indeed, I'm convinced that everyone who suffers from nervousness when speaking in public, or glossophobia as it is called by psychologists, can be treated and that their fears can be eradicated. There are two steps needed to achieve this. The first one is a change in attitude. The second step is to deal with any personal issues or unresolved matters which are causing the fear in the first place. Once these steps have been taken, practical matters such as preparing the presentation or speech so that it flows well and is easy to remember, can help. But a change in attitude accompanied by some work on personal issues cures people every time.

Labels: cures, remedies