I didn't realize I had a fear of public speaking until my first year of college. I was required to give a presentation to a small group and was very confident leading up to it. When I started to speak I noticed I was sweaty and shaking. My voice started to quiver and it was difficult to breath. Somehow I finished the presentation, which was only about 5 minutes, and my classmates told me I had done well, but I was traumatized. This became the norm throughout college where I would even not show up for some presentations even though it meant losing losing marks. I went to a hypnotherapist and found that an event as a young child where I had forgotten a dancing routine and had been embarrassed in front of my school and caused me to view public speaking in a very negative way. Throughout high school I was interested in debating but never took part, which I put down to laziness. I now realize that I had been avoiding speaking in front of people because of fear. Now I am in graduate school and I still have a fear of public speaking. I have joined a debating team in the hope that some exposure will help me manage my fear. I have also tried Neuro-linguistic-programming and a number of self help books, but have not had any success. I am hoping that I will be able to overcome this fear before I join the workforce because I believe it may seriously hinder my prospects.

I am passionate about what i do, i am currently in college pursuing a career in graphic design. In every class the students have to present their work at the beginning of the class, i have being doing it cause i have to, but its not a pleasurable situations as i want it to be, since i am scared to death of public speaking. I believe that i have overcome aspects of this fear, but not completely, i always start to shake and i get really anxious before presentations, but i tend to go through with it. In my head i think i am a good public speaker the only thing is that my mind does not allow me to show that to my class or to the whomever i am speaking to. Thats one of the reasons, the second most annoying and uncomfortable feeling is speaking english as a second language, when i speak face to face to one of my peer or co-workers my accents does not bother me but when i am about to speak to an audience or a group of people my accents kicks in and gets stronger and i know the reason why, because i am really nervous, but i do not know how other people with way stronger accents do it, they are not a shame or at least it does not look like it. Even if i practice my speech over and over when i stand in front and all eyes are on me, i start digging a hole for myself. If anyone has any tips and/or advices i will really REALLY appreciated it. please feel free to send me help to my e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ... THANK YOU!!