Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionSymptomsCausesDiagnosisCopingTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Coping
Treatment
Glossophobia, or the fear of public speaking, is one of the most common phobias.The good news is that there are ways to cope and learn to overcome your fear, such as using strategies to calm your nerves, practicing the presentation frequently, and engaging your audience with questions.
Public speaking causes feelings of anxiety in 15% to 30% of the general population, and it can sometimes hinder a person’s day-to-day life.This is especially true regarding school- or work-related situations involving speaking in front of others.
This article discusses the symptoms, causes, treatment, and healthy ways to cope with glossophobia.
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What Is Glossophobia?
“Glossophobia” is the official term used to define a fear of public speaking. It may sometimes also be referred to as public speaking anxiety.
Phobias are categorized into one of three categories:
Glossophobia is a social phobia that causes more intense feelings than are normal to experience when it comes to public speaking. Instead of just butterflies in their stomach, those with glossophobia can feel extreme distress in situations that involve speaking in public, interacting with new people, or talking in a group.
Symptoms of Glossophobia
People with glossophobia may experience a variety of symptoms depending on the severity of their condition. They may only experience a fear surrounding performance and public speaking, but they may also have other social anxieties.
Symptoms of glossophobia typically include:
Those with glossophobia may have other symptoms of social phobia, as well. These may occur before, during, or after a social situation.
Symptoms may include:
Those with social phobia are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than the general public.
As with many phobias, glossophobia may also cause a variety of physical symptoms. Panic attacks are also possible and may lead to increased heart rate, chest pain or tightness, and trembling. Other symptoms include:
Causes of Glossophobia
Biological Factors
Glossophobia may be due in part to genetics. Genetics can determine how the brain regulates feelings of anxiety, stress, nervousness, and shyness.
Some people may be born naturally shy, and find social situations difficult to navigate. Most people who have a social phobia have had a shy temperament their whole life.
Learned Behavior
A fear of public speaking can develop after learning the fear from a role model. A child with shy parents who avoid social interactions or speaking in public may be influenced to have the same fear.
A child who witnesses such avoidance may grow up to think speaking in public or socializing with others is upsetting and to be avoided.
Likewise, if a parent overprotects a child who is shy, the child won’t have opportunities to become used to situations that involve new people or speaking in public. This can result in a social phobia like glossophobia later in life.
Past Experiences
A life event or past experience that is stressful or upsetting can cause people to associate negative emotions with situations that involve public speaking or interacting with others.
If someone has been criticized or feels humiliated, they may develop a social phobia. If a person is pressured into interacting in a way they are not comfortable with, they may also develop a social phobia.
Since the fear of public speaking is a social phobia, it is typically diagnosed as a nongeneralized type of social anxiety disorder.One study indicated that the fear of public speaking is a common feature of social anxiety disorder, but it may also be present without other signs of social anxiety.
For a person to be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a mental health professional will perform a psychological evaluation using criteria in the fifth edition of the American Psychiatric Association’s “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders” (DSM-5).
You may also undergo a physical exam or lab tests to look for any irregularities in physical health, which will often check a person’s hormone, vitamin, and blood levels.
How Social Anxiety Disorder Is Diagnosed
Overcoming a Fear of Public Speaking
Dealing with a fear of public speaking isn’t easy. Many people feel nervous if they have to deliver a speech in front of an audience, but there are ways to cope.
The American Psychological Association suggests the following tips to cope with nerves when speaking in public:
Treating social phobias like glossophobia can be complex, and it may require a number of approaches. Psychological interventions like therapy are known to be effective in the treatment of fear of public speaking.
Treating social phobias involves talk therapies, such as:
Typically, medication is not used in the treatment of phobias. However, a healthcare provider may prescribe medication for people experiencing significant symptoms of anxiety.
These may include:
Summary
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ebrahimi OV, Pallesen S, Kenter RMF, Nordgreen T.Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:488. Published 2019 Mar 15.Tejwani V, Ha D, Isada C.Observations: Public Speaking Anxiety in Graduate Medical Education–A Matter of Interpersonal and Communication Skills?J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):111. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00500.1American Psychological Association.Specific phobia.American Psychological Association.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Overview - Agoraphobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).National Health Service.Symptoms - phobias.Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P.Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097American Psychological Association.How to keep fear of public speaking at bay.National Health Service.Overview - Phobias
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ebrahimi OV, Pallesen S, Kenter RMF, Nordgreen T.Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:488. Published 2019 Mar 15.Tejwani V, Ha D, Isada C.Observations: Public Speaking Anxiety in Graduate Medical Education–A Matter of Interpersonal and Communication Skills?J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):111. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00500.1American Psychological Association.Specific phobia.American Psychological Association.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Overview - Agoraphobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).National Health Service.Symptoms - phobias.Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P.Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097American Psychological Association.How to keep fear of public speaking at bay.National Health Service.Overview - Phobias
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ebrahimi OV, Pallesen S, Kenter RMF, Nordgreen T.Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:488. Published 2019 Mar 15.Tejwani V, Ha D, Isada C.Observations: Public Speaking Anxiety in Graduate Medical Education–A Matter of Interpersonal and Communication Skills?J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):111. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00500.1American Psychological Association.Specific phobia.American Psychological Association.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Overview - Agoraphobia.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Social Phobia.National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).National Health Service.Symptoms - phobias.Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P.Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097American Psychological Association.How to keep fear of public speaking at bay.National Health Service.Overview - Phobias
Ebrahimi OV, Pallesen S, Kenter RMF, Nordgreen T.Psychological Interventions for the Fear of Public Speaking: A Meta-Analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:488. Published 2019 Mar 15.
Tejwani V, Ha D, Isada C.Observations: Public Speaking Anxiety in Graduate Medical Education–A Matter of Interpersonal and Communication Skills?J Grad Med Educ. 2016 Feb;8(1):111. doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-15-00500.1
American Psychological Association.Specific phobia.
American Psychological Association.Social Phobia.
National Health Service.Overview - Agoraphobia.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Social Phobia.
National Health Service.Social anxiety (social phobia).
National Health Service.Symptoms - phobias.
Heeren A, Ceschi G, Valentiner DP, Dethier V, Philippot P.Assessing public speaking fear with the short form of the Personal Report of Confidence as a Speaker scale: confirmatory factor analyses among a French-speaking community sample.Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2013;9:609-18. doi:10.2147%2FNDT.S43097
American Psychological Association.How to keep fear of public speaking at bay.
National Health Service.Overview - Phobias
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