Fear of Speaking... help!

[OCDme123]

So I have to give an oral presentation in one of my high school classes. every time i go up in front of the class my heart pounds very, very fast, i start sweating, and i can barely get the words out of my throat. it's not even that im afraid of messing up, or being too self concious... i actually have a legitamate anxiety disorder. i won't be getting medication until a few weeks, and the presentation is in a few days. is there anythinig i can eat, or take, that will calm down my heartbeat when i am up in front of the class?? i read somewhere that orange juice can slow your heart beat and calm down your anxiety? will this work?? and please don't say "imagine the audience in their underwear".. when you have an anxiety disorder like me, these little tricks don't work.. so any advice?

[paula]

I suffer from Anxiety myself and know exactly what your going through! Could you not ask your doc for some Diazapam (Vallium) or why not go to a herbalist and ask for some tablets called Kalms. They make them here in the UK. I don't know which part of the world you are from?

[kaudio]

Hi OCDme, everyone feels anxious before presentations, but some show it more than others. From personal experience, the old adage often told to music students rings true for almost every activity: “Practice, practice, practice.” So, as you are going to give an oral presentation, and you are aware that you will be very nervous, bite the bullet by asking a family member or friend to bear with you as a member of your audience as you go through your points with them. You will be nervous in your practice as you may be during the actual presentation, but by practicing in advance you can experiment with how you want to discuss your topic. Also, by the time you do present, the nervousness will be much more familiar.

If possible, take a half-hour before the actual presentation to simulate it in your mind. Imagine yourself in front of the class: The moderator/teacher gives you the nod to proceed, you give a brief introduction to your topic and the points you wish to cover, you invite any questions afterwards as time allows, and.... Repeat this process in your mind until the half-hour is up. I had the opportunity to do this for a group seminar and the effects were great. All of the main issues were fresh in my mind, allowing myself and others to be as productive as possible. Once you make this into a habit, I am sure you will begin to enjoy presenting and discussing issues in groups.

Edited May 31, 2009 by kaudio

[Ob1one]

Kaudio has a great point in addition before you do school if you want to take something , tea is very healthy and calming depending on what brand you get. One of my favorite tea's is lemongrass and its a white tea and its supposed to be a very relaxing tea. Also in addition to what Kaudio said while you're waiting to go up you could calm yourself by breathing.

I also had an anxiety disorder and when I was with my therapist she told me that in public when you get anxious in class what you should do is inhale for about 7 second and exhale for about 12 seconds when your doing this its all done in a very controlled manner. Now all of what I mentioned should be done with Kaudio's suggestion because what Kaudio gave you is the main dish, what I said is just an appetizer.

I hope this help, have a good one.

[zoomzoom]

Sometimes valerian root tea helps me. It smells kind of stinky, but it actually tastes good to me. You can get it at any natural food store or at a place like Whole Foods. Here's a link for more info on valerian root

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/REM00009

I have also tried kava tea, but I prefer valerian root.