A collection of questions and sharing by our readership community about a wide variety of aspects of social anxiety. Dive in and receive practical insights and advice.
QUESTION BY:
Anonymous
Life is Passing Me by Due to Social and Performance Anxiety. Can You Help?
I am a 45-year-old woman who has been struggling with social and public speaking anxiety for over 15 years. I have passed up many opportunities to better myself and build a career because there was always a point in those opportunities where I would have to stand up in front of a class and speak, or give a presentation. I couldn’t even consider trying because I already knew the outcome—it’s happened before, even in less demanding situations.
This feeling suddenly takes over me: I feel lightheaded, I can’t think straight, my face gets hot, my body goes numb and kind of feels like it’s vibrating. Words won’t leave my mouth, and if they do, they come out extremely shaky. I also feel sick to my stomach. And when it’s all over, I feel like I could pass out.
Can you help me? I don’t want to live like this anymore.
Jonathan Responds:
If you listen carefully to the many of our interviews regarding public speaking anxiety you will develop insight regarding the healing process. These individuals:
Learned an adrenaline control methodology.
Learned how they developed a negative association to adrenaline.
Learned to resolve underlying toxic emotions of embarrassment, humiliation, and change.
Learned to bring their anger to a conscious level and channel it into productive energy.
Learned a proactive behavioral strategy.
Learned self -“nurturing”.
Learned about, and how to control, the “physiology of performance”.
Learned a healthy “time economy”.
and more.
Your situation is very typical. Anyone with the high motivation and realistic expectations can be “helped”.
