The UK’s number one phobia is the fear of public speaking, or so it is said. Having a fear of public speaking can be debilitating. I have seen people whose careers have been put on hold because of their fear of public speaking. For others they have been incapable of putting themselves in a position where there might be the possibility of having to talk to more than three people at a time.

Many of the people with public speaking anxiety cover up their fear or use ingenious methods to avoid situations where they might have to speak publicly. Some delegate the task, some don’t apply for jobs where there may be the need to speak publicly while others feign illness to get out of it.

For the vast majority of these people, just like you, they never get to feel any better about their situation. If anything, most feel worse and less able to beat their fear as time passes.