Thread Topic: 16 year old with social anxiety from public speaking
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Leopard
Joined: Jul 5, '09
Status: New User |
2009-07-05 21:30:59 |
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In 2008 I had heart palpitations while doing my homework. This was due to me being a massive hypochondriac since the only thing I truly feared were diseases and medical conditions. As tiem went on, I'd get these weird palpitation-feelings in my chest and think it was a heart problem. ONe day they continued, rapid-fire and non-stop. I thought I'd have to go to the ER. I had to lay on my couch to relax. A shower calmed me down the best. Sleeping on my left side I had some palpitations, after that I could never sleep on my left side without getting the feeling for monthes. I got an EKG and sonogram done, and it turned out my heart was fine. This calmed me down, and the palpitations never came back. These palpitations were a part of anxiety/panic attacks I had been experiencing. I would get panic attacks from certain things if I thought too much. While reading a poem out loud to my 10th grade Honors English class I began getting nervous, most likely due to having developed an ego over the course of the year, and had a mild panic attack while reading the poem. The words came out slow and shaky, and I was very nervous. About a week later in the guidance counselors office, I started thinking too much and got a panic attack that no one noticed in there. After that I get nervous and have panic attacks whenver I have to read outloud in school, even from my desk. Now I am struggling with glossophobia, or fear of public speaking. I get nervous even when I have to read a line or two from my seat. I just can't handle this. My # |
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Unanswered Thread: Nuclear Apocalypse posted by Gumba Gumba 8 hours ago |
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Leopard
Joined: Jul 5, '09
Status: New User |
2009-07-05 21:32:54 |
| My #1 fear right now is when the teacher goes down the row and each kid has to speak out loud. I am a great reader, but my voice gets shaky and my heart beats hard and my stomache turns.. I don't know how to cure this... =\ I don't want to depend on meds.. and I don't have the time or money for a psychologist =[ Help please | |
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HaBliq
Joined: Jul 3, '09
Status: New User |
2009-08-01 04:31:02 |
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Glossophobia!--I was wondering if there was a word for it. There does seem to be two types of social anxieties--public and otherwise (smaller groups). I'm more shy around smaller groups of people myself, but I do relate to your symptoms. And a hypochondriac to boot--not fun. Your panic attacks seem pretty bad. I'm sorry, I wouldn't know what to recommend. I have had some panic attacks and I'm not sure why they never became more frequent. I know this is often hated advice, but sometimes things do get better with time, which will hopefully be your case. If it helps at all, I think what helped me some with the shakes and panicked feelings is a kind of fascination with it. Often, when I was more your age, I would have frequent out-of-body experiences when I tried to socialize, too, and a kind of reverse tunnel vision (I'd see out of the sides of my eyes, while blacking out in front). I thought all these sensations, while debilitating, were very interesting. (Maybe I should have become a doctor!) Not sure if that helps at all, but I wish you luck! |
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sano
Joined: Aug 17, '09
Status: New User |
2009-08-17 14:51:22 |
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I know exactly how you are feeling. I've had the same problem since I was in primary school (I'm now 33) it has made my life very difficult. Seek help about this now, don't leave it - trust me. This problem is so debilitating but you can get help and beat this. My problem was exactly the same - reading out loud in the class, speaking in front of a group etc A tip for you - if like me, the panic becomes worse when you know you are going to have to speak but have to wait a while (so there is a panic build up) try to summon the courage to go first, it seems crazy but it lessens the time you have to build up to an attack. I suffered terrible panic attacks when put in any of these situations - noticeable physical shaking, unable to get the words out, excessive sweating, feeling like I couldn't breathe properly etc The main thing I would say to you is you are not alone in this problem - go and speak to your doctor and explain how serious it is and how it is affecting your life. There are therapies and medicine available that can help you. I found hypnotherapy particularly helpful. If your doctor isn't sympathetic - change doctors! The best of luck - it will get better if you seek help. |
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Hip
Joined: Aug 10, '09
Status: Junior User |
2009-08-17 15:23:55 |
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Why not try and desensitize yourself by practicing with a couple friends? Can you read aloud in front of 3 people, how about 5, 10? As for your thinking too much, find something to do, watch a movie, hang with friends or something. Or you could do what I did. I refused to read aloud many times throughout highschool, not because I was afraid of screwin up but I felt too cool for dat s---, know wut im sayin? So I was moved to a special class of five students with behavioral problems and you had to read aloud anyway, but it was easier since they were all dislexic nymphos and pathetically sucked at it, so I became the best in the class, hahahaha. |
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Unanswered Thread: Gumba da big dada posted by Gumba Gumba 8 hours ago |
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