GLOSSOPHOBIA

 Most people experience some degree of nervousness or anxiety when they give a speech, presentation, or perform on stage. They still manage to cope with the occasion even though they are not enjoying it. However, people who suffer from glossophobia may deliberately avoid situations where they would have to speak in public.

In this article, we cover what exactly glossophobia is, what causes it, what the symptoms are, how to treat it and exercises to help further overcome it.

What is glossophobia?

The term glossophobia derives from the Greek word γλῶσσα glōssa, meaning tongue, and φόβος phobos, fear or dread. Most of us have experienced some sort of fear when speaking in public at some time in our lives.

However, a person with glossophobia is unable to control their nerves and has an extremely strong fear of public speaking, sometimes to the point of a nervous breakdown. With this can come uncontrollable trembling, sweating, and a racing heartbeat.

This speaking anxiety may not be confined to speaking to large audiences – people suffering with glossophobia may struggle to speak in a meeting, classroom and in other smaller group settings.

This can make it very difficult for sufferers to communicate verbally in order to express their ideas and thoughts. As a result, glossophobia may hamper the sufferer’s ability to further his or her academic, social or career opportunities.

Glossophobia is a social phobia or social anxiety disorder, with recognisable symptoms and treatment. If left untreated, this can lead to loneliness, poor self-esteem, depression and isolation. There are helpful strategies to manage and cope effectively with glossophobia.

Symptoms and signs

Glossophobia causes a feeling of intense anxiety, including certain physical and verbal symptoms and signs. Even the thought of group activities and presentations can trigger these symptoms - worrying what people will think of us, worrying that we will stumble over our words, worrying that we will forget what to say.

People suffering with glossophobia may avoid events that centre on group activities – they might call in sick or make excuses to avoid the event.

When faced with having to give a presentation, many people experience the fight-or-flight response. This is the body’s way of preparing to defend itself against perceived threats through an increase in adrenaline. Particularly when speaking on stage, when you are exposed to people all around you, the fear is heightened and you’ll find yourself crossing arms and legs as a natural defence mechanism.

Physical symptoms

Psychological symptoms of glossophobia can lead to acute hearing loss or other physical symptoms. When the mind is cluttered with thoughts, extreme tension is developed which affects a person's hearing.

Heart palpitations or increased heart rates can develop as a result of the intense anxiety or stress. This can lead to increased blood pressure and the physical response causes the pupils to dilate and can cause the one to sweat.

Here are some of the common physical symptoms:

• Increased heart rate
• Raise in blood pressure
• Dilation of pupils
• Acute hearing loss
• Intense dread and trembling
• Sweating, particularly on the hands and forehead
• Nausea or vomiting in extreme cases
• Shortness of breath or hyperventilating
• Dizziness
• Muscle tension in the neck and upper back muscles
• Feeling of nervousness or panic attack
• Frequently needing the bathroom

  Verbal symptoms

  Some of the verbal symptoms that develop from glossophobia can cause the person to strain while trying to speak. The voice may quiver and shake, the person may repeat hesitations such as 'umm' or 'ah', followed by vocal pausing. This reaction causes the person to feel uncomfortable and anxious, worsening the symptoms of glossophobia.

  Speech anxiety can lead to dysfunctional speech and stammers or tics, since the intense anxiety may prevent one from speaking properly. Speech disorders can develop as well, which are caused by stress-induced reactions during public speaking.

  Here are some of the common verbal symptoms:

  • Dryness in the mouth
  • Weakened tone of voice and feeling energy less
  • Trembling voice due to tension
  • Shaking or quivering voice
  • Hesitation words such as ‘umm’ and ‘ah’
  • Stammers or tics
  • Vocalised pauses

    Exercises to help you relax and control your breathing

    Relaxation and breathing techniques are useful when trying to calm your nerves before speaking in public. When we are nervous, we tend to talk quickly and only take short, shallow breaths, causing our lungs to only partially fill. This reduces our vocal range and makes us sound nervous. Therefore slowing down our breathing and learning to relax are very important.

    Here are some exercises from the British Council on overcoming your fear of public speaking.

    Exercise 1 – Learning to relax

    Find a comfortable place and lie on the floor. Close your eyes and concentrate on relaxing every part of your body, starting with your feet and legs and working upwards to your shoulders, neck and head. Now bring your attention to your breathing. To begin with, just be aware of breathing in and out.

    Now try to imagine a place that you can associate with calmness. Picture this place and hear the sounds, smell the smells.

    Once you have become familiar with recalling this special place, it can be somewhere to go whenever you are feeling nervous – such as just before you go on stage to make a speech.

    Learning to relax takes time but it will really help, especially if you do this exercise regularly. After a while, you'll be able to recall the feelings of relaxation anywhere.

    Exercise 2 – Cantering yourself

    Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your hands hanging loose, shoulders down and head relaxed on your neck.

    First, try to collect your thoughts and think in your head. Feel yourself become lighter.

    Now try to think in your stomach, and start to feel yourself getting rooted in the ground. You are effectively 'thinking your centre of gravity' down through your body. This process is called 'cantering' and it may take a little practice.

    Now breathe in, and feel the breath going right down into your centre, i.e., to the bottom of your lungs and into your stomach. Breathe out allowing your diaphragm to control the outward breath.

    Exercise 3 – Get to know your space

    Nerves often come from the unknown, so go to the room or hall where you will be speaking, and walk around it, rehearsing your speech out loud. Now sing parts of your speech and move around allowing your voice to fill the space.

    Exercise 4 – Breathing a few minutes before your speech

    Just before you start your speech, breathe in, counting up to seven, and breathe out when you reach 11. Do this three or four times. It helps slow the build-up of adrenaline and reduces your heart rate, thereby diminishing feelings of nervousness or anxiety.

CLAUSTROPHOBIA: Managing Your Fear

Claustrophobia is defined as the fear of enclosed spaces, and you might think it is a rare case. But that is not the case.

Have you ever had a full-on panic attack when you enter an elevator, or do you avoid crowded places because you fear that the crowd will press down on you? Such is the feeling of being claustrophobic, and you are not alone in this fear. According to the NHS, ten percent of the people from the United Kingdom would have this fear during their lifetime.

Like many other phobias, claustrophobia is triggered by certain situations, which those who have the phobia would go out of their way to avoid. For example, you might find yourself avoiding concerts, sales in malls, or the subway. However, even avoiding these places might even reinforce your fears.

Is Fear An Emotion, or Is It A State of Mind?

Each of us has a fear. Remember when you were little, and you feared the monster hiding inside your closet? You might even recall when your parents told you to “face your fears” of the so-called monster. But what is fear, and can it be conquered?

To answer that question, let us understand the science of fear. Northwestern Medicine Clinical Psychologist Dr. Zachary Sikora described fear as a “survival response.” Have you ever wondered by thrill-seekers seem to enjoy fear while the rest tend to avoid it?

According to Sikora, fear is something that you experience in your mind, but it would manifest itself using your body’s physical reaction. For instance, when your body recognizes fear, such as passing an alleyway, and you see a vicious-looking dog, your body breaks into a sweat, and your heart beats faster. The only difference between fear and a phobia is when the fear you have would hinder you from doing your normal activities, such as taking the subway to work.

What Causes Claustrophobia?

Like many types of phobia, claustrophobia may result from a traumatic episode in your life, mostly stemming from childhood. There might be a time in your life where you were accidentally trapped in a confined space, or even if one of your parents suffered from claustrophobia. Phobias, after all, are the direct result of unpleasant and often traumatic experiences that have made a huge impact in your subconscious so much that you would automatically back away from any situation that would trigger it.

But, there is hope

The good news is that you can indeed seek treatment for claustrophobia. It is advised that you should seek professional help when the symptoms become too much for you or your loved ones to handle. In an article with U.S. News, this is not something that you can “just get over.”

One of the best things that you can do to keep your phobia at bay is to try your best to embrace logic when the situation arises. For example, when you have to take the elevator, tell yourself repeatedly that the walls will not close in on you. This is your way of affirming that your logic is stronger than your fears.

For some people, their claustrophobia might be triggered by a medical exam, such as an MRI scan. In situations like this, you can always inform the medical staff of your situation. While they can offer you a sedative, you can opt for an open MRI test instead. These are specially designed for people with severe anxiety and are available privately.

Still, the best-known treatment for claustrophobia is to “face your fears”. This is done when you are gradually exposed to the environment that triggers your fear; in your situation, it might be an elevator, a public bathroom, or the subway. This is known as self-exposure therapy, and you can choose to do this yourself, or you may seek help from a professional.

For extreme measures, you may opt to be given a sedative when the need arises, but most patients do not find this necessary as all they need is reassurance from people they trust. One of the most important things that you need to cope with your phobia is to seek help and look for reassurance. A simple hand squeeze from the people you trust can go a long way.

In the end, you can indeed take steps to conquer your fears and not let them get the better of you. It is an everyday process, and while you might not be able to rid yourself of the phobia, find people who will ride it out with you and will not abandon you in the process.

How to take a Self-Claustrophobia Test –

Considering the symptoms of claustrophobia, doctors usually use a questionnaire to assess your fear. Let us carry out a simple test by asking you some questions. Do a self-analysis honestly and check if you respond to the below situations with panic or with any of the symptoms mentioned at the beginning.  

1. Staying inside an elevator for a longer time especially at a power cut.
2. Locked in a small confined room without windows for 15 minutes.
3. Tied up with hands behind the back for 15 minutes.
4. Taking a flight.
5. Caught in tight clothing and unable to remove it.
6. Getting legs tied up to an immovable chair.
7. Trying to catch your breath while exercising.
8. In a crowded bus/train stopping between stations and you’re not allowed to go out.
9. Working under a car for 15 minutes.
10. Sitting in the center of a full row at a cinema theater.
11. Swimming while wearing a nose plug.

If you find yourself to be anxious in more than 5 of these situations, it is fairly presumable that you might be claustrophobic. Also, the level of anxiety in these circumstances may determine the seriousness of your phobia. In such a case, it will be sensible of you to consult a mental health expert.

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Treatments for Claustrophobia –

Claustrophobia can often be treated and cured using psychological therapies. To decide on the right treatment, one must first be diagnosed to know the exact risk it poses. The following are the common ways in which Claustrophobia is treated:

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an evidence-based treatment that means it has been proven effective in many instances. The main conception of CBT is to face your fears. This therapy is far simpler than you would’ve thought. All you need to understand about this therapy is that you ought to know what’s happening inside your brain and find a way to do the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do.

2. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy was invented by Albert Ellis. This therapy helps you realize the irrational fears lurking in your mind and helps you to overcome the fear by rationalizing your brain from imagining improbable events like fear of losing control over yourself in a harmless environment. It makes you ask questions to yourself and dispute the irrational beliefs.

3. Relaxation and Visualization

This technique involves diverting your brain’s attention towards a more positive scenario or engaging in some other mental task like counting down from 10. This is a guided imagery and visualization technique that has proven to be efficient in treating patients with many sorts of anxiety disorders including Claustrophobia.

4. Exposure Therapy

Exposure Therapy is a technique in behavioral therapy that encourages methodical confrontation of the feared stimuli which could be external or internal. It involves exposing the patient to the source of his fears and helping him gradually overcome it. This process has proved to be extremely effective and often suggested as a first-line treatment. But it remains to be an underutilized method in medical practice.

5. Medicinal Treatment

The medication prescribed for anxiety disorders is often used in unison with the therapies. The medication might be a short term or long term option based on the seriousness of the symptoms. They are proved to be extremely effective in suppressing the symptoms for a transient period. The antidepressants and relaxants have proved to be extremely beneficial while traveling. Though this isn’t a permanent cure, they are efficient when used alongside therapies.

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Tips on How to Manage Claustrophobia –

If you find yourself in one of the spaces that might trigger your disorder, you will find these tips advantageous in overcoming your claustrophobic fear at that circumstance.

• Take deep and slow breaths by counting up to 3.
• Try to convince yourself that you are in a harmless situation.
• Shift your attention towards something else like time passing or singing a song.
• Visualize sceneries or other places that calm your mind.
• Recollect your memories and picture your favorite moments.
• Remember that your fear and anxiety won’t last long.
• Meditating and doing yoga might do wonders in calming you.
• Exercising and hitting the gym gives you a steady control over yourself.
• A few sips of water in anxious moments will help you clear your mind.
• A healthy conversation with someone with similar experience and sharing your stories with them will help you feel better.
• This might sound offbeat but a small jig with some music might influence your emotional state.
• The final and the important thing is that never let fear control you. Never put pressure on yourself and give yourself time to get better.