- Featured Podcasts
Mind Surgery for High Performers: Rewiring the Brain Behind Public Speaking Anxiety
This podcast is a clinical map for healing. It is for high performing individuals who suffer from public speaking anxiety disorder and the fear of being noticeably nervous. Learn the treatment architecture for performance anxiety, panic, fear of blushing (erythrophobia), fear of sweating (hyper-hidrosis), voice freeze (selective mutism), dissociation, obsessive worry, and perfectionism.
Episode Overview
What This Episode Is About
If you’ve ever worried about your voice shaking, your mind going blank, or others noticing your anxiety, this episode offers valuable insight into why these fears develop—and, more importantly, how they can be overcome. Whether you’re preparing for a major presentation or looking to finally break free from performance anxiety, this episode provides a thoughtful introduction to a treatment philosophy focused on lasting recovery rather than temporary symptom management.
At a Glance
This podcast is best for:
Episode Details:
- Duration: 48 min, 32 sec
- Published: September 1, 2021
- Host: Jonathan Berent, LCSW
Full Transcript
This episode's transcript:
[00:00:00]
I’m going to start with what I think is a dramatic story.
Patient number one, not in any specific order other than for the flow of this podcast, was a well-known motivational speaker in the finance industry.
He contacted me at age 53 after a three-year breakdown driven by performance anxiety.
He literally was off the grid for three years.
Flash forward, he’s live in front of 16,000 people in a sports auditorium.
He asked, anybody know what a phobia is?
Some responses, fear of spiders, fear of flying.
He countered with, I may be up in front of you now, but I have suffered from public speaking anxiety and went on to describe in detail some of the symptoms that he experienced during his panic which resulted in his breakdown.
He added, if I’m up here in front of you now, you can be proactive with the things you need to do.
After the speech, he got a standing ovation.
[00:01:22]
One person came up to him and said, did you find Jesus?
Now, I don’t make up any stories.
Obviously, it takes balls to say what he did.
It also takes a lot of skill and high performance to get to the point that he was in front of 16,000 people.
The clinical point here is that with his dramatic behavior, he took himself out of defense.
By being open, he took the pressure off of his nervous system.
It had been this accruing pressure on his nervous system that resulted in his performance anxiety and subsequent nervous breakdown.
Now let’s be clear here.
I’m not suggesting that you get in front of a group and tell people you have performance anxiety.
My intention is to drive home the point that you can only resolve an anxiety disorder by playing offense.
There’s no way it can be resolved by playing defense, which most people who come to me for treatment are experts with.
The metaphor that I use in treatment is with football.
Quality healing, whether facilitated by treatment or self-help, requires an immersion in cross-training and paradoxical approaches.
With my patients, I say, you’re the quarterback and I’m the coach.
You’re Tom Brady and I’m Bill Belichick.
Related Reading
Articles That Go Deeper
Continue with these in-depth guides on social anxiety and its treatment.
It’s a secret shame, a “personal failure” C-suite executives seldom acknowledge: performance anxiety so crippling that they fantasize about an escape—changing careers, getting into an accident, disappearing—rather than public speaking.…
Amy Lemley, 46, has spent most of her life feeling like a fraud. She remembers debilitating performance pressure even as a young child. When she believed she wasn’t strong in…
Credit: http://www.social-anxiety.com / SocialAnxiety.com Written by: Jonathan Berent, L.C.S.W., A.C.S.W. Published by: SocialAnxiety.com on 12/20/2015 Unlike the similarly named Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) seldom receives research interest except in studies examining several of…
Since 1978 The Berent Treatment Method has adapted therapy to the specific needs of social anxiety sufferers rather than try to fit the disorder into the narrow confines of an…
Reflections on School Violence: A Psycho-Dynamic Perspective While the profile of the school shooter has evolved over the last couple of decades its worth considering behavioral patterns and psychodynamics which…
Meet the Speaker
Jonathan Berent, LCSW
Psychotherapist & Author — Social Anxiety and Performance Anxiety
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- 40+ years in private practice
- Author of "Beyond Shyness" and "Work Makes Me Nervous"
- Featured on national television and radio
- Specialist in performance and social anxiety
Guest Speaker
Guest Name
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Social Anxiety Treatment
What causes public speaking anxiety in high performers?
Public speaking anxiety can affect even highly successful executives, professionals, and experienced speakers. According to Jonathan Berent, the fear is often fueled by an ongoing cycle of obsessive worry, fear of adrenaline, trying to hide the nervousness and post-event rumination. Over time, this defensive pattern places increasing pressure on the nervous system, making anxiety stronger rather than weaker. Recovery begins by changing how you respond to fear instead of continually trying to avoid it.
Can public speaking anxiety be completely overcome?
Yes. Many people can significantly reduce or overcome public speaking anxiety with the right treatment approach and consistent practice. The podcast shares real-life examples of individuals who returned to speaking in front of thousands of people after severe performance anxiety. Rather than simply managing symptoms, the goal is to retrain both the mind and nervous system so speaking becomes increasingly natural and manageable over time.
What is the fear of being noticeably nervous?
The fear of being noticeably nervous is the concern that other people will see signs of anxiety, such as shaking, blushing, sweating, trembling, or a shaky voice. According to the podcast, this fear often becomes more distressing than the speaking situation itself. As individuals become increasingly focused on hiding these symptoms, their nervous system becomes even more activated. Learning to reduce this fear is an important part of recovering from public speaking anxiety.
Is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) enough to treat public speaking anxiety?
F = function (physiology)
A = action (behavior)
T = thinking (cognition)
E = emotion
What role does perfectionism play in performance anxiety?
Perfectionism is frequently linked to public speaking anxiety because it creates unrealistic expectations and increases self-criticism. Many people become overly focused on delivering a flawless presentation and interpret normal nervousness as failure. The podcast explains that reducing perfectionistic thinking and accepting that some anxiety is normal can help decrease pressure on the nervous system and improve confidence during presentations.
Take the Next Step
You Do Not Have to Manage This Alone
Public speaking anxiety, performance anxiety, and social anxiety respond to treatment. If this episode described your experience, a conversation is the great next step.