Essay Example about Glossophobia or the Fear of Public Speaking
Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking and 40 percent of the American population is affected by it. It is caused by many things and the body may respond with many different symptoms. Although the body has all these specific responses, there are ways to overcome them. A phobia is an extreme or irrational fear of something. People with glossophobia may have had social anxiety that progressively worsened over time but there are so many other causes. Glossophobia makes you stressed in public situations. Glossophobia, a fear of public speaking, has several causes and includes specific symptoms of body responses, but there are ways to overcome it.
To begin, glossophobia has many causes, including genetic, environmental, and many more. A genetic cause of glossophobia comes from a parent or relative who had the phobia and the child developed that phobia.. According to Suzan York at healthline.net “though social anxieties often run in families it isn't quite understood.” An environmental cause of glossophobia is where the phobia has been caused by a severe event in a person’s life. For example, if you had a big idea and showed it on tv and you got made fun of or rejected that could cause glossophobia. According to Jacob Olesen at healthline.net “The exact cause of glossophobia is unknown but, likely, certain traumatic events in one’s past as a child or even as an adult might have led to this fear of public speaking.” Causes of glossophobia are important to know but it’s just as important to know how the body responds to this phobia.
The body responds with all sorts of crazy reactions when faced with fear, specifically the fear of public speaking (glossophobia). When you have glossophobia the body may respond with sweat, trembling, an increased heart rate, and all sorts of other crazy things. What happens when you are nervous, do you sweat, do you feel overheated? That's what happens to people with glossophobia sometimes but more extreme. According to healthline.net “When faced with having to give a presentation, many people experience the classic fight-or-flight response. This is the body’s way of preparing to defend itself against perceived threats.” When you have glossophobia and are asked to speak in front of large crowds it may make your blood pressure increase and your heart rate go up. According to Suzan York at healthline.net “When threatened, your brain prompts the release of adrenaline and steroids. This causes your blood sugar levels, or energy levels, to increase. And your blood pressure and heart rate rise, sending more blood flow to your muscles.”All of these symptoms may seem scary don’t worry there are solutions.
This phobia may seem terrible but don’t worry because treatments can be used to help overcome glossophobia. Some of the popular treatments include medications and psychotherapy. If a doctor has been consulted they might say that taking meds is best, some popular ones for glossophobia are beta-blockers and antidepressants. According to healthline.com “Beta-blockers are usually used to treat high blood pressure and some heart disorders. They also can help control the physical symptoms of glossophobia.” They also state “Antidepressants are used to treat depression, but they also can be effective in controlling social anxiety.” Your doctor might also decide psychotherapy is the best option for you. If your doctor decided psychotherapy is the best option for you a therapist would be working with you to help you according to fearof.net “Talk therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, and counseling, etc can also help individuals overcome their glossophobia. Whatever the case don’t worry your phobia will be treated.
You may be able to notice glossophobia can severely impact a person’s life even more so when they have to speak in front of crowds. It has many causes and many symptoms although that might seem hard don’t worry treatments are there to help. So are you part of the 40 percent of the population in America that has glossophobia?
