Glossophobia

Glossophobia, or speech anxiety, is the fear of public speaking, a word derived from the Greek glossa, tongue, and phobos, fear or dread. Its causes are uncertain, with explanations ranging from a simple lack of preparation to social anxiety disorder, one of the most common psychiatric disorders, and its symptoms include physiological changes, mental disruption and detrimental speech performance; approaches to overcoming it include preparation and rehearsal, deconstructing unhelpful beliefs, positive self-talk, mindfulness, breathing exercises and, in some cases, beta-blocker medication.