A phobia of public speaking is very common among people of all ages. Often people who have something very important to say will not speak up because they have a fear of speaking in front of groups of people - even those they know well. They think that the people in the audience will be laughing at them and talk about them to others. Nothing could be farther from the truth. People in the audience are often marvelling at the speaker's ability to stand up and speak in front of others. There are many in the audience who also have a phobia of public speaking.

If you have a phobia of public speaking, take a good look at those who you see speaking a lot in front of large groups of people. You will notice that they sometimes are at a loss for words and have to refer to notes. If you look closely you will see that they appear to be nervous.

Having a phobia of public speaking is not a life-threatening condition. There are ways to help you get over your fear of speaking in public.

1. Pretend that you are having a conversation with the audience
2. Prepare. Very few speakers get up in front of an audience without notes or having practiced their speech either in front of family or a mirror.
3. Stop worrying about how you might appear to others or that you might make a mistake.

The third suggestion is the one most people need help in getting over their fear of public speaking. Help is available in the form of classes you can take to learn the art of public speaking, CD's you can purchase and listen to at your own leisure or articles you can read to get you started in public speaking. Whatever route you decide to take, there is help available for the phobia of public speaking.