Glassophobia Essay

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Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. The word glossophobia comes from the Greek γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread. Public speaking is considered the greatest fear a person can have, even greater than the fear of death. Glossophobia is the technical term given to a severe fear of public speaking. People who suffer from glossophobia tend to freeze in front of any audience, even a couple of people. They find their mouth dries up, their voice is weak and their body starts shaking. They may even sweat, go red and feel their heart thumping rapidly. Fear of Public speaking Glossophobia, is a stress response. It’s basically your sympathetic nervous system (fight/flight) response which switches on. It’s an unconscious response, which means it’s difficult to control on a conscious level. If you suffer from glossophobia you shy away from any opportunity to speak in public. Your symptoms are usually so severe you get terribly embarrassed and fearful of any public speaking. According to Barbara Fish, M.Ed., the fear may happen in the classroom where the student prays that the teacher doesn’t call on him to answer a question. It can happen in the workplace where the manager experiences panic attacks at the thought of making a presentation to her superiors. It can happen at home where the jobseeker becomes emotionally distraught before going on a job interview. It can happen at a party where the possibility of meeting someone new is curtailed by butterflies in the stomach and sweaty palms. The thought of speaking in public can leave us frozen with fear. It can also cause us to miss out on many academic, social, and career opportunities. Symptoms of glossophobia, also known as speech anxiety, include: • intense anxiety prior to, or simply at the thought of having to verbally communicate with any group, • avoidance of events which focus the

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