For those with anxiety disorder, the fear of public speaking causes full-blown panic attacks. When I say public speaking, I am not just talking about those rare occasions when you have to give a speech in front of a huge crowd, like at a wedding, convention or funeral. After experiencing their first panic attack, many working people find they can no longer even give a routine presentation or speak up at a staff meeting.
Fear of public speaking, like all forms of anxiety disorder, is strictly all in your head. Initially something scared you and a nasty piece of doubt was generated and planted in your subconscious. Every time you are faced with circumstances where you have to speak in front of a crowd, the doubt creeps into your mind and spreads like a virus, crippling your self-confidence and generating anxiety until you reach complete panic. Next thing you know, you're hyperventilating into a paper bag.
There are all kinds of fabulous tips to overcome fear of public speaking using distraction (there's the famous one of imagining everyone naked). But this will probably not work for you if you have anxiety disorder. Because those tips are for regular people!
Anxiety sufferers are usually under the impression that normal folks go through their lives cool and totally unflappable like James Bond. Guess what? Regular people get nervous when they have to give a speech. They just don't show it.
In your case, however, you had one panic attack and then made yourself believe the notion that speaking up in front of people will give you another panic attack. And what you believe comes true every time. This is good news, because all you need is to have a few positive public-speaking experiences and your old belief will be gone forever, replaced by a new one that thinks public speaking is fun.
I am not going to give you distraction tips because you need full concentration while giving a speech.
Begin by giving a simple presentation in front of a small group of close friends or loved ones. Tell them that you are doing this to get over your fear of public speaking and you need their love and support. Tell them to cheer with enthusiasm and accept their love without guilt or false modesty. Pick a topic you are interested in and prepare for this event by reading up on public speaking tips (there are tons on the internet).
As you do this presentation, make sure you become aware of how great it feels when your initial anxiety or shyness turns into excitement (this will happen if your group is really cheering you on). This is the most important part of all, because this is how seasoned speech-givers end up making a great speech. They use the energy provided by their nervousness and turn it into passion and excitement.
Again, you have to get over the idea that great public speakers are too cool to feel even a drop of anxiety. They feel LOTS of anxiety, but they welcome it because they know how to tame it and ride it, like a wild horse. This is the essence of cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety: to let you know that anxiety is a normal self-protective reaction provided by Mother Nature herself, and that you can use it to enhance your life.
Panic attack tips like deep breathing or hyperventilating into a paper bag are fine, and they actually do wonders to calm you down before the speech. But the panic you feel while you are on stage will not be controllable unless you make the major mental shift of regarding the panic as your friend and ally in helping you give an unforgettable speech.
As with every magic cure for panic attacks, the key is to think the very opposite of what you normally think. Next time you're faced with speaking to a group, repeat over and over again, "Dear God, please let the anxiety come or I'm going to totally bore everyone!!" Even if you don't believe it at first, repetition is the key to success. You can make up your own phrases to change your nervousness into excitement, but keep saying it until you believe it.
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