Advice for public-speaking anxiety

macnyc
Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:26:33 +0000

My daughter is set to graduate in May, and she did great in college: high grades, immersion in a topic she loves, interesting research projects. But she is suffering from what you might call stage fright: extreme and irrational nervousness before any kind of public speaking, even presenting a paper in class in front of fellow students. I say “irrational” because she’s always very well prepared and knows her stuff. But she get the shakes, has trouble breathing, etc. It’s more than the usual butterflies in the stomach. She has never been a great public speaker, but it seems to have gotten worse in college.

I am trying to think of ways to help her. She’s thinking of graduate school, probably a Ph.D. program, and being a poised speaker and presenting yourself and your ideas well is very important. I know that some people take a beta blocker or anti-anxiety medication beforehand. I was wondering if any of you have any non-drug suggestions for my daughter. She’s thinking of taking a class in speech after she graduates. Anything else?